Incubus
by Tangerine Catnip
Summary: Incubus. in-cu-bus noun, plural incubi. 1. A male demon who lies upon sleepers. 2. Something Danny Fenton never imagined his separated ghost half would turn out to be. Fenton/Phantom, Pitch Pearl. Cover image was drawn by Polterrgeist, used with permission.
1. Not What it Seems

******Co-write between Tangerine Catnip and Dream Trance**

* * *

****The following story takes place after this one shot written by Dream Trance. It's in her "Apples Keep the Ghosts Away" one shot collection. Chapter 4. ****

If you can't be bothered to go find it, here's a short summary.

_Vlad captured Danny and brought him to his secret underground lab, where he used his spiked ghost gantlets to pull Phantom out of Danny, hoping that his ghost half would crave power enough to join him, but when he managed to wrestle Phantom free of his human half, the ghost appeared with a pair of feathery white wings._

_We join them arriving home, just after the escape from Vlad's…_

**Incubus**

Phantom dropped Danny on their bed and then settled beside the human, folding his wings against his back as he did so. He leaned back, stretching his muscles after a long flight back from Vlad's hidden lair. Danny stretched as well, but his aches were more caused from being manhandled. Blue eyes fixed on Phantom, and after a moment he finally noticed.

The ghost looked his human half over, raising an eyebrow before asking, "Something on your mind Fenton?"

Danny stared at the ghost incredulously, his surprise melting into nervous laughter when he realized Phantom was serious. "Well, let's see, about two hours ago I had my ghost half ripped out of me. Something like that is worth thinking about, wouldn't you say?"

Phantom frowned and crossed his arms over his chest. "Well, about two hours ago I had my human half ripped out of me, so I can assure you this is no cake walk for either of us." Phantom sighed deeply. Someone had to be the logical thinker here. "How are you feeling?" he asked as he un-crossed his arms and leaned forward. "We should see how our bodies are reacting to being split in two."

Danny thought about it for a moment, then gave Phantom a non-committal shrug. "I feel a little nauseous, and my chest hurts, but other than that…" Danny trailed off as his eyes were drawn to the fluffy plumage encompassing Phantom's new set of wings. "Um, what about you? Those can't be very comfortable…"

Phantom appeared confused until he noticed where Danny was looking and glanced over his shoulder. He hummed softly, extending a wing and then folding it at the joint, testing its flexibility. "They feel surprisingly natural actually," he admitted. He brushed a few fingers over the feathers before adding, "I must have had them before we fused together."

Danny blinked at him. "Wait, what do you mean, 'before we fused'?" he asked. His confusion deepened when Phantom seemed to ignore the question, apparently too wrapped up in his own thoughts.

Phantom shook his head and returned his focus to Danny. "Let me see your chest," he stated. He crawled over to his counterpart and placed his hands on his shoulders, forcing the boy onto his back. Ignoring the cry of protest from the human, the ghost leaned in and pressed an ear to his chest.

"H-hey!" Danny yelled. He grabbed Phantom's biceps and threw the ghost off him, quickly returning his hand to the chilled area on his chest. "I can check my own heartbeat, thanks," he muttered, rubbing heat back to the spot.

"I wasn't checking for a heartbeat, human," Phantom snapped, attempting to resettle himself after being so rudely shoved, his feathers ruffled like an upset hen. "I think we can both tell that's working."

"Well, whatever." Danny frowned. "And you still haven't told me what the hell you were talking about. What do you mean 'fusing'?"

Phantom huffed and rolled his eyes. "When I say fused, I am referring to what happened when you stepped into the Fenton Portal and activated it…when you repurposed my energy into the now former hybrid you named Danny Phantom."

"Former?" Danny eyes widened, a sudden feeling of dread washing over him. He hadn't even considered that this time might be permanent. "Shit, we need to fix this!" Danny stood up from the bed, hoping it would help him jump into some sort of action plan, but instead the sudden movement made his stomach heave, and he sat back down on the mattress a few seconds later. "Just as soon as it stops feeling like I'm about to throw up…"

Phantom huffed and reached over, pulling Danny back into bed properly so his head rested on the pillow. "I agree with your stomach. Rushing off without a plan will not get us anywhere." Phantom sat back and pressed his fist to his jaw, running over the problem in his head while Danny took a few stomach-settling breaths.

After a few moments Phantom's brain kicked up an idea. He had never considered it before, but all of a sudden he knew how he might be able to fix this. His eyes gazed down at Danny for a moment, something unreadable flashing beneath their green depths. "May I take it from your outburst that you do wish to become one again?" the ghost asked, a lilt to the question.

"Of course I do!" Danny exclaimed, sitting up suddenly before his stomach reminded him why that was a bad idea. After another few deep breaths, he added, "This is just too strange…I mean you have _wings_, for crying out loud. How are we supposed to fight ghosts like this?"

Phantom considered the question a moment, giving those same wings a few experimental flaps. "Well, from what I've seen today, I believe I can fly just as fast with wings as without, so that shouldn't be a problem." Danny opened his mouth to respond, but was cut off when Phantom snapped his fingers and summoned green energy to his fingertips. "It seems that all our powers are still working for me as well." He closed his eyes, quickly flipping between invisibility and intangibility. "See? There's no reason why I can't continue to kick our adversaries back into their pocket dimension."

"Y-yeah, but…but what if they," Danny gestured toward the window, indicating the world outside their room, "see you like this? You look like a freaking angel!"

Phantom tilted his head, unfolding his wings. He glanced at the mirror on top of their dresser and twisted to get a better look at the mentioned appendages, humming thoughtfully. "I think it rather befits a superhero," he mused. He faced Danny again and leaned closer. A stray ray of moonlight entered the room through the large window and caught on his white feathers and hair, lighting him in a halo of soft light, his own ghostly aura only amplifying the effect. "Why? Do you not like how I look with them?"

Danny's cheeks grew hot and he turned away, burying his head head further into the pillows. "N-no, you look…fine." He cleared his throat, quickly trying to regain his train of thought. "It's just so bizarre, you know?"

Phantom snorted and chuckled softly. "I would have thought you would be used to your life being bizarre after the third month of walking through walls." Danny sent him an unimpressed look and Phantom decided to drop it. They had more important matters to discuss.

The ghost reached over and tugged on Danny's shoulder, forcing him to roll onto his back and stop hiding in his pillows. The human didn't seem pleased by being handled, even less so when Phantom cupped the human's cheek in his hand, forcing him to maintain eye contact.

"Stop being so emotional and listen for a moment, will you?" Phantom insisted, not giving Danny a second to rebut the slight insult before going on. "I may be able to maintain the city alone, but I still feel we need to find a way to fuse back together. I—" Phantom suddenly stopped. He closed his eyes and shivered violently, drawing his other arm back and wrapping it around his chest.

When his eyes reopened his irises were glowing brightly, and he looked as if he had left his brain on another planet. "—I'm beginning to miss your warm flesh," he murmured, his tone setting off every alarm bell in Danny's human instincts.

The human forced a cough in an attempt to cut the tension. "Yeah, okay, that doesn't sound weird at all…" He brushed Phantom's hand off his cheek and sat up, deciding he would just let this little awkwardness slide. He really didn't have the brain space to deal with more Phantom-weirdness right now. He braced his back against the wall, mindful of his personal space all of a sudden. "I don't suppose you have any ideas?" he asked making an attempt to restore the conversation to its original topic.

Phantom frowned, his eyes slowly dulling as he mused over the question, sorting through his ideas again. "Actually, I have several possible plans, but I have a feeling you won't like all but one of them, and unfortunately that plan would have involved our parents' Ghost Catcher, which they disabled last week…I think the parts were used in something called, 'the ecto-destroyer.'"

Danny responded with a disgruntled-sounding huff. "It probably wouldn't have worked anyway. With our luck the whole 'wing-thing' would have thrown it off."

Phantom nodded, resisting the urge to tease Danny for refusing to let go of the fact he now had wings. "We can try deactivating the portal, then switching on with both of us inside..." he offered, "…but the likelihood of a second shock killing you might not be worth it." He sighed, shooting an annoyed glare at his human half. "This would be much easier if you weren't being so sensitive about your personal space. If I could just get a second to examine the situation..."

Danny blinked, expression blank. "What? Dude, I'm too tired for this. What do you mean, 'examine the situation'?"

Phantom resisted the urge to roll his eyes. "I have to see how receptive your body is to my energies." Danny looked even more confused, and again, Phantom sighed. "I mean my ghost energy…the freaky glowy stuff?"

Danny had a feeling that Phantom was treating him like a six year old, but as long as he got the information he couldn't bother caring how he got it. "Okay, yes I know that stuff, but what has that got to do with me?"

"Simple," Phantom answered. "If we try anything too drastic when we remerge, and it turns out we are no longer compatible…" He paused for a second trying to come up with the best way to explain it. "Well, let's just say our parents will have to collect what's left of you in a test tube and leave it there."

Danny flinched, defiantly not enjoying the mental imagery. "That...doesn't sound pleasant..." he admitted, "but I guess that makes sense. In a weird way…" Pushing the thought aside Danny asked, "So what do you need to do to test this out, overshadow me? Blast me?

Phantom shook his head. He slid closer to Danny, still ignoring his preference for personal space. "No, none of those. I just need you to be a good boy and hold still."

The ghost pushed Danny down on the bed again, but this time he slipped his fingers under his shirt. The cold fingers against his skin made Danny body jerk involuntarily, but he managed to hold back the urge to once more shove Phantom off.

Mindless of the human's discomfort, Phantom lifted his red and white shirt up until most of his chest was exposed. "You may feel a slight chill," the ghost warned, "but whatever you do, don't freak out." The ghost placed his hands flat on Danny's chest. Slowly, he summoned power to his fingertips, his face becoming a mask of concentration as he poured his power into the prone human form beneath him.

Danny's breath caught, his skin crawling as he felt the first wisps of cold energy sinking inside. "D-don't freak out? How about a little more warning next time!" His mouth shut abruptly when Phantom gave him a warning glare. "Right...don't freak out..."

A moment of silence passed as the sensation sunk deeper into Danny's body. The teen bit his lip, holding himself as still as he could. "So far so good…" Phantom murmured, closing his eyes and sharpening his focus. "If I can just get into your core…"

As the ghost deepened the invisible connection, some of Danny's warmth leached back into him through the link. A low moan escaped the ghost's lips, the familiar sensation of being inside the warm boy sending a thrill of pleasure up his spine.

The slightly pornographic sounds coming from his counterpart's mouth did not escape Danny notice, and he shifted uncomfortably under the other. "Uh...My core...right...S-so, how long will that take?"

Phantom's closed eyes twitched. Couldn't Danny take anything seriously? Since he was in a slightly vindictive mood, Phantom diverted some of his power and sent a spike of sensation down Danny's own spine, enjoying the sharp gasp he received. "Don't tempt me, smartass. Right now I have access to every nerve in your body."

To further prove his point, the ghost sent a soft tingling sensation along Danny's leg. "H-hey!" the boy yelled. Overreacting as usual, he tried to pull away, but only got as far as reflexive leg spasm. "Okay, point taken! Don't do that!"

Phantom smirked in satisfaction. He decided he rather liked wining these disagreements with Danny.

The smile fell a few seconds later when he felt the first tugs of resistance against his intrusion into the human's soul. "Shiiiiiiiiit…" Phantom hissed, closing his eyes again, grunting as he pushed against the force rejecting his presence. "I'm getting some resistance. Are you feeling any pain?"

"Aside from what I mentioned earlier?" Danny asked. He twitched his fingers and concentrated on how his body felt, but aside from a slight chill, he felt nothing out of the ordinary. "No...I don't think so."

Phantom nodded, but was interrupted by another strained sound as he pushed against whatever it was preventing his remerging. Slightly freaked out by the sound, not to mention the look of pain on Phantom's face, Danny tried shifting again, trying to inch away.

Phantom's eyes snapped open and flashed with anger "Stay still!" he yelled, pushing down hard on Danny's chest as he did so.

But in his moment of anger, Phantom forgot to keep driving against the soul, and suddenly an electric spark passed through the two of them. With a feral growl, Phantom shoved himself away from Danny. His wings flared and lifted him into the air, allowing him to float in the middle of the room, his smoking hands clutched to his chest.

While it didn't hurt him as much, the sudden snap made Danny jerk backwards, banging the back of his head against the wall. He swore loudly and rubbed the back of his skull, blinking up at the ghost. "What...What was _that_?" he exclaimed. Gingerly, he touched his own chest, relieved when he didn't feel anything like what warranted Phantom's grimace.

Across the room, green energy streamed over Phantom's hands, repairing the minor burn marks on his palms. "That was your human body refusing to meld with me," Phantom replied, flexing his healed fingers gingerly to make sure they still functioned correctly. "It's the same reaction that I warned you about. The kind that could have dismembered you had it been done another way."

Danny glanced down at his hands again, double checking he still had both arms. Phantom brushed some slightly singed hair from his eye and added, "I managed to direct most of the blast towards myself. You should be fine."

"Um...thank you?" Unsure of what he was supposed to add to that, he eventually settled on a simple, "Are you all right?"

Phantom smiled, appreciating the effort. "I am. Or at least I'm much better than you would have been, that's what matters." He touched down on the floor again, wings resettling into place against his back. "The real issue now is what we are going to do to alter your state enough so that I can slip back inside you."

"Okay, yeah, again, that didn't sound at all wrong..." Danny scowled, wishing Phantom would stop talking about being inside him; it was getting creepy. Turning back to the problem at hand, Danny tilted his head, considering the problem. "Maybe it's not me that's the problem but you? Frankly, I blame the wings.

Phantom bristled. "Well, would you like me to cut them off? Do you think that would help?" His wings ruffled in irritation again, the feathers making a slight rustling sound as they rubbed together. "Why are you so fixated on my wings anyway?"

"Uh, because they're there?" Danny asked, gesturing wildly at them. "I can't help it! They draw my attention!" His shoulders slumped and he rubbed his neck, taking a moment to calm down. "And...Well, we never needed wings to fly when we were Danny Phantom, even though you said you had them before the accident—which, by the way, still makes zero sense—so they may be throwing off our...merging this time."

Phantom remained silent for a long moment. "Perhaps you are right…the problem could be in my energies and not yours. If only we knew more about whatever forces made Danny Phantom." The ghost settled into a sitting pose on the floor, unfolding his wings. With surprisingly little effort, he wrapped them around his body like a cocoon, looking a lot like a big feathery egg.

Danny snorted. "Yeah, 'cause no one knows me—well us—better than we know ourselves." Then an idea hit him and Danny snapped his fingers. "Vlad! He had a whole unit dedicated to copying my existence! Remember the clones?"

Phantom didn't seem so impressed with the revelation. "Yes, and I also remember destroying every last bit of that lab with our ghostly wail. And in case you've forgotten, that power-hungry megalomaniac is the reason we are in this mess to begin with." Yet as soon as that statement left his mouth, Phantom realized there might be something to this idea. He lifted a wing and gazed over at his human half. "However, if any data was saved, he may still have it in his personal databases… perhaps Tucker might be able to retrieve it?"

Danny nodded. "It's worth a shot. It's not like we have anything else to go on at the moment."

"Very well…but first you should sleep. You need to recover from the splitting process." Phantom pushed himself onto his feet and strode over to the bed, his hand resting on Danny's shoulder as he guided the human into a reclining position. "I can handle the nightly ghost patrol tonight."

Danny sat up on his elbows, watching as Phantom walked over to the windowsill beside their bed and then unlocked it, sliding the window up. "But aren't you, uh, effected by it? Shouldn't you rest too?"

"Rest?" Phantom mummed, pausing with one leg swung out over the windowsill. "I don't think full ghosts need sleep…that's a purely human pastime." He shrugged and glanced back to the human, saying a quick, "Goodnight Danny Fenton" before pushing off from the window and taking flight, ascending into the night sky with a flash of silvery-white wings.

Danny stared at the place where Phantom had been seconds before. "Whatever…" he muttered. He dropped back into bed and pulled the covers over his head…until he remembered he was still in clothes that were covered in dry sweat. Sighing, he crawled out of bed and changed into his pajamas. Returning moments later, he fell on the soft, non-metal mattress and promptly passed out.

* * *

Early the next morning the sun was shining and the birds were singing. A soft breeze drifted through the open window in Danny's room rustling the unfinished homework on his desk. The only sound in the room was the slow breathing of the teen buried under his blankets and clutching his pillow to his chest like a teddy bear.

Or it was until Jazz pushed open her brother's bedroom door with her hip, humming softly as she walked in, carrying a tray laden with pancakes, fresh fruit and a large glass of orange juice. "Rise and shine little brother!" She grinned and placed the tray on the bedside table, pulling open the blinds with a flourish afterwards. "I know you've had a long night, but if you don't get up now, you're going to throw off your internal clock."

Danny groaned and burrowed further under his blankets, practically hissing away from the light. "Go away, Jazz," he grumbled, covering his eyes with his forearm. "…And take your chipper attitude with you."

Jazz sighed and placed her hands on her hips in a classic scolding-mother pose. "See, this is what happens when you stay out all night playing superman. I know you're trying to do the best for this town, but you can't take on the world's problems all by yourself." She walked over to the bed and wrenched the blankets off her brother's head.

Danny sat up groggily, glaring at her, but she just reached over and and placed the tray of food she had brought in his lap. He looked from it to her in confusion, wondering if he was still asleep. He scrubbed his eyes with curled fists, just to make sure he was wasn't hallucinating or something.

"I made all your favorites." Jazz grinned, not seeming to notice the incredulous look she was getting from her brother.

"Umm, thanks?" Danny said, eyeing the food like it contained poison. "Not that I don't appreciate it, but why are you being so nice?"

"Just a little thank you from me on behalf of the people of Amity Park," Jazz replied, her tone taking on that high pitched quality it got whenever they discussed Danny's secret, not unlike those adopted by five year olds when discussing secret crushes.

Jazz settled beside her brother and grabbed the rolled up newspaper that was bunched beside the plate, holding it up for Danny to see. The headline read "Danny Phantom: Winged Avenger" with a sub headline informing him of the numerous sightings of the Phantom last night, busting everyone from muggers to robbers. A righteous crusade.

Danny gaped at the newspaper. He snatched it from Jazz's grasp so he could get a closer look at it, his eyes scanning over the article text as he tried to come to grips with what it might mean.

Jazz's smile widened a full inch. She pointed at a picture of Phantom that showed off a nice profile of his new appendages. "The wings are new," she observed, shifting a little to get a look at Danny's back, checking to see if there were any traces of them. "Are they a new power?"

Danny blinked, looking up from the article. "Uh, you could say that," he murmured. He debated a moment telling her about what happened the day before, but decided to wait until after he had a chance to talk with Phantom.

Jazz nodded. She understood her brother's need for privacy when it came to his powers, and if she needed to know something, she trusted Danny would tell her. "Well, just remember what I said. It's very noble of you to try cleaning up this city singlehandedly, but you're much too busy with ghost hunting as it is." She reached over and ruffled Danny's messy black hair. "Just remember to take time out to be Danny Fenton once and a while." She wandered out of her brother's room, closing the door behind her with a soft click.

A second after the door shut behind Jazz, a shimmer in the air above Danny's dresser rematerialized into a smiling white-haired teenage boy, crouched on the furniture like a gargoyle and mysteriously missing the top half of his jumpsuit. He held something green in his right hand, a long pole made of hardened ectoplasm. It had two star-shaped, spiked ends that looked as if they could do some real damage to anything they came in contact with.

Phantom's green eyes flicked to meet Danny's, and he half-smiled at the human. "That was nice of her."

Danny grunted. "Speak for yourself. You're not the one she woke up." He glanced at Phantom again, but decided he was too hungry and sleepy to start questioning the strangeness that was his ghost half just yet. Food first.

He grabbed his fork and glanced down, taking a moment to decide what he wanted to eat first before he dug his fork into the pancakes. He shoved the bite of maple syrup-soaked cake into his mouth, humming in pleasure at the sweet taste. Annoying or not, Jazz sure was an awesome cook.

Danny looked up at his ghost half, suddenly feeling guilty. "Uh...you don't eat, right?" he asked sheepishly.

Phantom paused for a moment, as if he had to think about the question. "I do feel hunger... but it can't be for food. Well, human food at least." He stepped off the dresser, twirling his weapon and resting the spiked tip on the floor. "It should be fine, though, it's not distracting."

Danny looked oddly relieved. "Sweet! More for me!" He returned to eating, taking a few more bites from the pancakes before switching to the fruit. As he ate, his gaze wandered back to Phantom, his curiosity getting the better of him. "Okay, I can't keep ignoring it. What's with the stick? And where'd your shirt go?"

Phantom looked from Danny to his weapon. He lifted the spear and twirled it around with a flourish, oddly comfortable with it given Danny had never gotten the hang of blunt instruments.

"I attempted to summon those energy beams we are so fond of, but the process alluded me," Phantom explained, his grip tightening on the weapon. "So I improvised." As he finished, the lance began melting in his hand, turning back into ecto-energy and dissipating into thin air. "And that part of our suit was chafing my feathers," he added, extending his wings once to show the increased mobility.

Danny's eyes followed along the wing joints. "Uh-huh..." he muttered. His eyes fell on the newspaper still sitting in his lap. He grabbed it and held it out so Phantom could see the front page. "And this?"

Phantom stepped closer to get a better look at the paper. "Hum…I was unaware anyone had taken notice of my activities." His eyes flickered to the photo under the headline. "At least they got a good picture," Phantom added, admiring the snap-shot of himself bludgeoning a would-be burglar over the head with blunt end of his lance.

"You went on a crime-busting spree. Of course they noticed. Danny Phantom is a ghost fighter, not a crime fighter." Danny tried his best to seem cross, but looked at the picture of Phantom as well and couldn't help a soft snicker. "That is a good shot, though. The guy didn't even see it coming."

Phantom chuckled in return, pleased that Danny was admiring his handiwork. "I ran into a few evildoers while looking for ghosts. I couldn't just stand by and let them get away with it. I find injustice…unpleasant."

Danny nodded. He understood the sentiment. If it wasn't for school and homework, he would have liked to help fight crime around his city, but it seemed like he was always busy with ghosts. "That's cool, I guess." He shrugged, pointing to the headline "They're calling you a 'winged avenger' by the way. Better than Inviso-Bill, at least."

Phantom frowned slightly. "Honestly, I don't care what they choose to call me so long as the streets are safe." Bored of standing around, Phantom sat on the floor, crossing his legs and resting his hands in his lap. "Now, finish your breakfast and get re-dressed. I would like to visit Tucker soon. I have made a few observations about my current state, and if new information is forthcoming, I would rather have it now."

"Yeah, yeah," Danny mumbled, scarfing down the rest of his food and then pushing the tray aside. He slipped out of bed and walked passed Phantom on his way to the dresser, pulling out his usual clothing once he reached it. "So what kind of observations are we talking about?"

Phantom shifted his position. "I've mentioned the hunger and my trouble using normal offensive powers...there is also a small matter of my eyesight acting up..." He twisted his body and looked directly at the human. "Are you aware that you're glowing?"

Danny paused halfway through unfolding his jeans and stared back at Phantom as if he'd lost his mind. He looked down at his own hand just to check, but only found normal pale skin. "Uh...okay, yeah, you have eye problems. You're the one that glows here." After setting aside his jeans, Danny began unbuttoning his pajama shirt.

Phantom, on the other hand, continued watching Danny, eyes roving over the boy's bare chest. "Well, I…um…" Phantom forced his eyes away. Suddenly feeling uncomfortable on the floor, he stood. "I don't mean a ghostly aura. It's much more vivid…and distracting."

Danny looked inquisitively at Phantom through the mirror. "If it's not a ghostly aura, then what is it?" He pulled his shirt over his head and then got to work on his pants. "Actually scratch that, you're probably just seeing things. Maybe it'll go away."

Phantom nodded, but he was only vaguely listening to what Danny was saying. His whole body tensed as he watched his counterpart undo his trousers, and with no small amount of self-control he managed to turn his back respectfully, now glaring at the far wall and trying to think of anything but the half-naked teen behind him. "…Perhaps…I'm sorry I can't explain it better. It's a new sensation and I seem to be having trouble finding worlds that match it…"

"It's cool. It's not a big deal right this minute. Just let me know if anything changes." Danny buttoned his jeans and then turned to face Phantom, frowning when he noticed how rigid the ghost's back was. "Hey, are you all right?"

Phantom was silent for a long moment, his whole body beginning to shake as that unknown feeling welled up inside his chest. Danny placed a hand on his bare shoulder, and reflexes kicked in. A second later he had the human pinned against the dresser, a low growl issuing from somewhere deep in his chest as his fingers laced through the belt loops of Danny's jeans, pulling their hips flush against one another. Piercing green eyes glared down at Danny, a ravenous hunger spreading the pupils and allowing the ghost to absorb every minute detail about the human before him.

Danny gaped at him, feeling paralyzed beneath the ghost's intense stare, but after a few seconds his mind did its own version of a reboot. "What the hell, man?" He shoved against Phantom's chest, growling himself when he refused to budge. "What's the matter with you? Get off me!"

Phantom slid an arm up Danny's back, pulling the teen to his chest to prevent any more needless shoving. The ghost was acting purely on instinct now, the only thought in his mind that of satisfying the clawing need in his essence, and he knew, without even knowing how he knew, that the only way to do that was by giving his chosen human pleasure, whether he agreed to it or not.

The white-haired male leaned close, nuzzling into the hollow of Danny's neck. He bit down just softly enough to prevent the skin breaking, simultaneously rocking his hips against Danny's, groaning softly as the resulting friction sent the first few tingles of pleasure through his ghostly form.

A gasp escaped Danny's lips, the boy blushing to the tips of his ears. He bit down on his lower lip, holding back the moan clawing at his throat, and squirmed against Phantom's hold, even trying to pass through the dresser at his back despite lacking the ability to do so anymore. He released his lip long enough to shout Phantom's name, trying to make the ghost come to his senses, blushing further when his voice hitched.

His counterpart's desperate cry was almost forgotten as Phantom ran his tongue along the bite-marks on Danny's neck. It was only when he yelled the second time that Phantom's sense of self kicked back in. He suddenly pulled back, watching with a mix of horror and shock as Danny slumped to the floor. The ghost was torn between wanting to help the human up and not daring to touch him for fear of losing his mind again, in the end just staring uselessly.

"W-what...what the hell was _that_?" Danny used the dresser to pull himself onto his shaky legs, glaring warily at his ghost half. He tensed when Phantom inched towards him like he wanted to help him up. "Oh no!" he cried, pressing his back against the dresser. "You stay on your side of the room until you tell me what that was all about."

Phantom opened his mouth to argue, but thought better of it. Dutifully, he retreated to the other side of the room, green eyes not leaving his counterpart for a moment. After a minute passed in silence, Phantom finally spoke up, his tone as flustered as it was indignant. "Well then I'll be on this side of the room for a long time, because I don't think any answer I could give would be satisfactory."

Phantom crossed his arms over his chest and sat on the end of their bed in a huff. Danny continued to glare at him for a moment before he noticed the wrinkles Phantom's molestation attempt had left in his shirt.

"There must be something missing," the ghost mused aloud as Danny smoothed out his t-shirt. "Something I used to get when we shared a body. I had a feeling that I needed it from you since last night, but…I just never imagined it would be..." Phantom looked away, and if Danny didn't know better he would have sworn the ghost was blushing. "…something like that..."

Danny was not swayed by the cute act, however, and simply frowned at his ghost half. "Yeah, well, whatever it is you're 'missing', we need to find a fix for fast. Preferably one that, you know, doesn't involve me in the equation...in that way...at all."

Green eyes flashed with light briefly, and Phantom had the oddest feeling that he needed to hit something. Hard. "You aren't grasping the situation, are you? I can't tell if that's your fault for being so painfully naïve or my own inability to relate my feelings." Phantom looked his humans half up and down. He was unsure why he needed Danny, but it was clear that if he didn't start being a little more forceful, he would never get his hands on the human.

Phantom stood and strode over to Danny, careful not to get so close that it would upset the human. "You know, I cannot help but notice that while you claim to want no part of me, the bright blush on your face tells a different story." Phantom cracked a sideways grin at Danny, exposing a set of sharp fangs that had most certainly not been there a moment before.

Danny laughed nervously, the glint of those fangs making him take a few large steps back, skirting around the dresser to brace his back against the wall. "Ha, yeah, because I'm so turned on by you right now I can't even think straight..." A second later, his eyes widened, realizing that maybe sarcasm was not the best idea.

He coughed loudly, cutting the tension. "You know what, forget what I said!" He shrank back as Phantom took another step towards him, green eyes roaming over his body like he was a delectable treat. "Let's, let's, uh...talk about Tucker! And, and how he's going to fix this."

Phantom paused, wondering for a moment if he wanted to press the issue, but in the end consenting to the subject change. "Very well then." He spotted Danny's cell phone on the dresser and sauntered over to it, his feathers dragging across the boy's trembling body as he passed. Phantom pretended he didn't notice the accidental contact. "Here. Call Sam and tell her to meet us at Tucker's house," he instructed as he passed the phone to Danny.

"Uh, right," Danny said shakily, quelling the pleasant shivers Phantom's soft feathers had left across his skin. He snatched the phone from Phantom's hand and dialed Sam's number. He skirted around Phantom as the phone rang, only growing more uneasy when he felt the ghost's gaze on his back. Once Sam's voice sounded in his ear, he all but jumped. "Ah! Sam! Hi!" he blurted, internally kicking himself for being such a spazz. "Umm, listen, something's come up and we need to meet up at Tucker's."

"Wait don't tell me," the Goth girl responded with no little amount of amusement, "this 'something' involves your ghost half magically sprouting a pair of wings and ending up all over the news?"

Danny flinched slightly. Trust Sam to hit the nail right on the head. Obviously, Jazz wasn't the only one who read the paper this morning.

Danny rubbed his neck with his free hand, an action Jazz had told her brother was probably a nervous tick. "Heh, yeah, that's the gist of it," he admitted, glancing over his shoulder at his ghost half who, while his human half was busy talking, had caught a glimpse of himself in the mirror above Danny's dresser. He walked over to get a better look, one hand lifting to rub at something on his head.

"But he's not really, um, 'attached' to me at the moment," Danny added, a little distracted by what Phantom was doing. "Look, it's kind of a long story. I'll tell you all about it once we all get there and..." Danny covered the mouthpiece with his hand, frowning at his ghost half. "What's the matter?"

Sam chuckled in his ear, no doubt wearing one of her knowing smiles. "Whatever you say, Danny. Considering what your life is like, this story will be worth the walk. I'll see you there."

Danny didn't respond right away, because across the room Phantom had brushed his hair aside to get a better look, his white hair giving way to reveal two sharp black points jutting out from his skull. "Would you look at that… they look like horns."

"Yeah, see you, Sam," Danny responded quickly and then flipped his phone shut, releasing an exasperated groan. "Horns? What's next? A spiked tail?" Sighing, he returned to the ghost's side and threaded his own fingers through Phantom's hair, more effectively revealing the horns due to his vantage. "Well, at least they don't look that big." He smoothed the white hair back over them, cracking a wiry smile. At least they're easier to hide than the wings.

"Yes...provided they don't get bigger," Phantom observed, rubbing his head a little and marveling at how firmly the horns were attached to his skull. "These changes are becoming bothersome…We should get to Tucker's as fast as possible."

Danny was about to agree when Phantom spread his wings to full length, forcing him to step backwards to avoid getting hit. The ghost flexed them a little, readying himself for flight. His eyes fell on Danny and his lips parted in another intimidating grin. "I am flying us there," Phantom announced leaving no room for argument. "Will you allow me to carry you or do I have to drag you along, kicking and screaming?"

Danny considered the proposition for a moment, but decided it wasn't worth the energy. "Just don't try anything like what happened before and I'll behave. Ex-halfa's honor." He grinned at his own joke and lifted his arms so he could be grabbed.

Phantom's smirk wavered a little, turning into what looked like a genuine smile. "Well, what do you know, he can be trained," the ghost mused and then slid into position behind Danny, wrapping his arms around the lithe frame of his counterpart. "Now don't worry. I probably won't drop you."

"'Probably'?" Danny stammered, eyes wide. He twisted a little so he could get a better look at Phantom. "Don't joke! Those wings don't look very strong, you know!"

Phantom shrugged, leaning in close to Danny's ear, his voice dropping to a low purr. "Don't be silly, Danny. You of all people should know that I pack quite a lot of power for a scrawny teenage boy."

Without a second thought, Phantom proved it by kicking off from the ground, turning them both intangible right before they would have slammed into the roof. Wings beat a second time, propelling them up into the morning sky.

* * *

Sam's amethyst eyes switched from Danny to Phantom, lingering an extra moment on the wings and horns the ghost was sporting. "Well…this is new," she said. "I mean, it's not like I haven't seen two of you before, but the mystical beast look has made it strange again."

Behind them, Tucker was already working away on his desktop, fingers flying over the keys at a speed that would have shamed Steven king. His mind was completely focused on cracking Vlad's databases through the internet connection, a feat that some would have considered impossible, but which the tech geek considered only the latest challenge.

Danny snorted. "You're telling us. And that 'mythical beast look' is just the physical changes. He's got this new...aura-sensing vision thing going on."

"Among other things," Phantom added, sending a sideways glance at Danny. The blue-eyed teen looked away like he didn't know what Phantom was talking about, and the ghost decided to let this one slide. "But Daniel and I both agree there is something more afoot than either of us are aware, and getting to the bottom of it is something of a priority."

"Like, a huge priority," Danny said, casting a hopeful glance at Tucker.

The teen waved one hand at him while the other kept right on typing. "Yeah, yeah. I'm working on it."

"I don't suppose you could tell us why exactly?" Sam asked.

Danny looked away nervously and Phantom shook his head, giving Sam an apologetic look. "I would explain it further, Samantha, but doing so may lead to a panic attack from my dear human half. I have recently discovered he is rather sensitive..."

"Hey!" Danny objected. "My reactions are completely justified! I—"

But that was about as far as Danny got before his sentence was interrupted by an irate Sam stomping toward his ghost and jabbing a finger at Phantom's chest. "Did you just call me _Samantha_?"

Tucker laughed, sparing his friends a glance. "Oh man, dude, you've done it now."

Phantom stepped away from the Goth girl, a little surprised at how intimidating she was, even to a ghost. "I apologize, Saman—" The Goth girl tensed and Phantom backpedaled quickly. "I mean Sam!" he blurted, his shoulder slumping in relief when she seemed to accept the correction.

Phantom backed away slightly, and Danny couldn't help but be impressed that she had managed to stare him down. Maybe he should have her around more often to keep him under control.

"Um... as you can see…" Phantom began, trying to regain the conversation. "Human social interactions are not my strong suit…"

Danny snorted loudly, adding, "You can say that again." Phantom narrowed his eyes at the human and opened his mouth, only to be interrupted by Tucker.

"Ah-hah! The king of hacking has done it again, we are _in_!"

The other teens dropped what they were doing and crowded around Tucker, four sets of eyes falling on the screen that displayed Vlad's personal files. Tucker clicked the mouse and opened the one belonging to nemesis Danny Fenton/Phantom. From the date at the top, they were in luck; the file had been recently updated.

Tucker scrolled through a few pages of notes, trying to pick out the relevant information from the things they already knew. After a few moments he came to a picture. The green on black swirling mass in the background indicated it was taken in the Ghost Zone, if the ethereal creatures in frame didn't give that away already.

Four jaws dropped as the teens looked over the subject of the photo. They looked to be humanoid creatures, with large feathery wings, pure white hair, and long black horns. All of them perfectly shaped, breathtakingly beautiful…and also stark naked.

"O-kay, wow...Vlad likes porn..." A second later, Danny's eyes widened and his face tinged a slight green. "Wait…Vlad has pictures of porn in my file!"

Sam smacked his shoulder, rolling her eyes. "Is that all you noticed? Look closer." She tapped the screen, ignoring Tucker's horrified cry at his baby being touched, and then pointed at Phantom. "See the similarities?"

Danny's blush darkened. He looked away and coughed into his fist. "I was trying not to look too closely..."

This time it was Phantom's turn to smirk at the floundering Danny, but his desire to know more about himself overruled his love of seeing his human half squirm. Ignoring the two of them, he leaned closer to the screen reading the paragraph above the picture out loud.

"'Upon further investigation, I found an old record about the realm of the demons, tucked away in a far corner of the Ghost Zone'…" He skipped a little more of the text and picked out another line that looked important. "…'I happened upon a small heard of succubi and incubi and the similarities are undeniable.'" Phantom frowned. Only some of this made sense to him. "What does he mean by succubi and incubi?"

"Not a clue," Danny said, shrugging.

Sam, on the other hand, straightened like she'd been struck by lightning. "Move aside, Tucker," she said as she shoved the wheelie chair away from the computer, once again ignoring the tech geek's protests. "Now we're in my specialty." She grinned, typing quickly on the keyboard, not nearly as fast as Tucker, but certainly faster than Danny thought her capable of.

"I know that incubi are the male version, so we should start there first." Sam clicked open Wikipedia, the information flashing on the screen. She nodded to herself as her hunch was confirmed. "Okay, long story short, incubi are demons who are sent to earth to tempt humans into acts of lust. They're a bit like vampires except they feed on human emotion instead of blood."

She clicked back to the picture Vlad had taken, and pointed to the creatures again, this time remembering to mind the screen. "They assume the form of attractive humans to lure in their prey. They will try any dirty trick to tempt you into bed with them, including dark magic that can mess with your emotions…" She paused for a moment, trying to remember if she had left out any details. "And I think I remember reading somewhere they are not above using pure force if you refuse to let them feed on you."

Danny opened his mouth, closed it again, and shifted uncomfortably on his feet. "So, that...that means Phantom is..." He switched his gaze from the computer screen to his counterpart, flushing when he found Phantom staring back at him, that hungry look in his eyes suddenly carrying a lot more meaning. He tore his gaze away, laughing nervously. "Th-that explains some things..."

Tucker, who had been sitting in stunned silence throughout most of Sam's tirade, looked thoroughly confused. He pushed Sam out of the way and looked over the page himself. "Wait, wait, hold on! This doesn't make any sense. Danny never needed to, like, feed off anyone before…"

Phantom frowned, crossing his arms over his chest as he shifted through his thoughts. "That is true...but I can't help thinking perhaps that need was sated by already being encased inside a human and therefore surrounded by his emotions."

Sam butted in, elbowing Tucker for the third time that afternoon and grabbing the mouse, highlighting some of the text on the article. "Look, right here: 'There are also numerous stories involving the attempted exorcism of incubi or succubi who have taken refuge in the bodies of men or women.'"

Danny rested his head on his fist, voicing his thoughts out loud. "But they probably still needed to...feed when they were taking over humans, right? I mean, how else were they found out?" He scanned his memory for anything that might have indicated that he had been part incubus since the accident, but aside from a few crushes, he had been rather chaste around the opposite sex…heck, he hadn't even had his first kiss yet…well, a proper first kiss, anyway. "I know for sure that Phantom didn't feed when we were the same person…so what happened?"

Sam frowned, wishing she had access to her mythology reference books right then. "That's the problem with this kind of data. It's mostly folklore and fairy tales mixed with nuggets of truth." She pointed a purple, nail polish-covered finger at Phantom. "Take ghosts, for example. We learned firsthand that few stories about them hold true to the real thing."

Phantom nodded slowly, still not taking his eyes off Danny, seemingly lost in thought. "There is also the small matter of the lab accident," he reminded them. "I doubt the normal method used by incubi to possess humans involves shocking them with a pure endoplasmic power that binds human and demon together on a subatomic level."

"Umm…hello? Am I the only one who is still freaked out about the whole sex demon thing?" Tucker asked, gesturing windily to add to his point.

"Are you kidding?" Danny exploded, releasing the bottled emotions that had been building as this crazy theory looked more and more possible. "You're not the one who had that same sex-sucking demon inside him for the past year!" he practically yelled, throwing his arms above his head. A moment of silence passed and Danny noticed the ghost's frown."Uh, no offense, Phantom..." he added, a little sheepishly.

Phantom's eyes narrowed, his attention zeroing in on Danny and causing the human to shiver involuntarily. "I assure you the feeling is mutual. I much prefer the ability to do and think for myself…but you may disagree soon enough…" Phantom's attention turned to the two other humans, dropping his hostile attitude like a hot potato. "Would you two mind if Danny and I had a private conversation? There are a few things we need to discuss."

Sam and Tucker look at each other before nodding their heads. Seeing this, Phantom grabbed his counterpart by the arm. "We will be on the roof if you need us," Phantom said and then turned the two of them intangible, flying straight up through the ceiling.

Danny stumbled once Phantom released him, but recovered quickly and spun around to face the other boy. He took a few steps away, careful not to disturb the roof tiles, and grabbed his upper arm, rotating the limb and grimacing as the muscles protested. "Okay, wow, and you called me sensitive," he grumbled. He flexed his fingers to make sure they still worked. "And for future references, carrying a person by the arm hurts...Feels like you pulled something."

Phantom growled softly. He maneuvered behind Danny and placed a hand on his shoulder, rubbing the area with the flat of his palm before closing his fingers and digging his thumb into the shoulder blades. Showing a strangely adapt ability for massage, he used his other hand to do the same to Danny's other shoulder. The corners of his mouth twitched as Danny gave a relieved sigh. "I shall keep that in mind, but I did not bring you up here because I was offended, Daniel."

Danny leaned into Phantom's hands, mumbling something before clearing his thoughts and speaking up again. "Then what-ahh, a little lower-did you bring us up here to discuss if not to yell at me?"

Phantom felt a low thrum of excitement rush though his veins as Danny relaxed into his touch. Obeying his command, he moved his hands down the human's back. "It's a simple matter really," he replied softly. He poured some of his power into his touch, the green wisps of energy sinking beneath Danny's skin, just enough to keep the human relaxed.

"Thanks to our friends, some of my memories are returning. Nothing tangible, but I know enough to be sure that Vlad is right about me." Phantom leaned close so that his cold breath ghosted over the back of the teen's neck, making the human shiver. "I am a demon, the kind you humans call an incubus."

"Ah-hmm...Yeah, that makes sense." Danny agreed his eyes half closed as he continued to melt into the demon's touch. "It explains the whole hunger thing you mentioned earlier...Maybe even the aura thing. You're supposed to 'feed off human emotions' after all."

"Indeed I do." Phantom nodded, the flow of energy between him and Danny flowing even as the human made the revelation. "And it's a very powerful energy source...I can see how something like this could drive someone like Spectra to such extreme lengths."

Phantom's hands drifted down to Danny's middle, messaging the hipbones by drawing his thumbs in slow, leisurely circles. "You must realize that this poses a bigger problem," Phantom added, choosing his words with care. "I would like to think I have enough willpower to resist this, but this morning would prove otherwise." He leaned even closer to the human, murmuring into his ear. "We cannot allow that side of me to take control. You and I both know that if I turn on my morals, it could be disastrous for everyone involved…"

Danny blinked a couple times, the words registering slowly as if through a haze. He shook his head and stepped forward, just out of Phantom's reach, unaware of the flicker of annoyance that passed across the ghost's face.

"Yeah…" he mumbled, shaking his head again and clearing his throat. "That would be real bad. So we need to find you, like, some other alternative food source or something."

Phantom stepped forward again and slid his arms around Danny's waist, pulling the human flush against him. Danny made to pull away, but an influx of Phantom's power lulled him back into relaxation.

"That's exactly right," the ghost whispered, "and I have a solution in mind, but it will require some…" he paused, looking for the right word, "…sacrifices on your part."

Phantom slid his fingers over the human's belt, a soft grin on his lips. He was regaining his instincts, and turning his beloved Danny into putty in his hands brought forth a pure elation he hadn't even realized he missed. "Sam has told you that I feed off emotion, Danny…all you have to do is allow me to bring you to the pinnacle of pleasure…to make you cum…you can even keep your pants on if you prefer…"

"Whoa..._what_?"

Danny braced his forearms and hands against Phantom's chest—panicking a little when he remembered the ghost was still shirtless—and shoved the ghost-sex-demon-thing away from him. Energy snapped back on Phantom as the spell broke, the demon wincing in pain as he fell back a step.

Danny turned on Phantom, determined not to take his eyes off the ghost again. "Okay, first of all, even if I was willing to...do that—which I'm not!—I would never do anything like that on our best friend's _roof_."

Phantom narrowed his eyes. Slipping back into his seductive tone, he closed the gap between him and Danny, grabbing the t-shirt so he couldn't pull away. "Fine, I will respect your need for privacy, but only because I want to make this as comfortable for you as possible." Phantom leaned in and brushed Danny's cheek with his lips, his next line barley a whisper. "I'm told my kind prefer to visit at night anyway…"

"A-at night?" Danny repeated. Shivering, he turned away from Phantom's cold lips and then tore himself free of his grasp. He stumbled back a few steps and crossed his arms over his chest, glaring down at his feet a moment before he lifted his chin and flashed Phantom a smirk. "We'll see about that..."

Phantom's wings ruffled. He didn't like the sound of Danny's tone one bit. So, the human had decided to play hardball then…Fine. Phantom may not have been in control of all his old powers yet, but he still had more than enough tricks up his sleeve to bring Danny to his knees. "We will indeed," he agreed, his smile returning when he added, "but just so you know, the longer I have to wait, the less I will want to be gentle with you..."

Danny's lips pulled down at the corners, his eyes narrowing uneasily. He covered the concern with bravado and shrugged his shoulders. "You would have to catch me first," he replied, before what he has just said sunk in and he groaned audibly. "Urgh, wow. That could have come out a _whole _lot better." He shook his head, kicking himself for the mental imagery of Phantom tying him up that he now had to deal with.

"Very well, human. If you would prefer to be hunted, I'll happily comply." Phantom flashed Danny a grin, showing off his fangs again to add to the hunter image. "I can even rub it in Skulker's face when I manage what he never could."

He waited to see if Danny would respond to the jibe, but the teen just stood on the other side of the roof and sulked. Phantom breathed deep, ruffling his feathers impatiently, eager to move on so he could begin planning for tonight.

"Tucker and Sam will be wondering what's taking so long," he said. He stretched a hand towards Danny. "I'll take you down to them, but if you don't mind, I would like to take my leave afterwards. Looking at you makes me tense, and I doubt you would appreciate any outbursts in front of our friends."

Just the thought of his friends witnessing Phantom's…flirting had Danny nodding eagerly in agreement. "Yes, good idea. I can explain...er, well, most of what's going on to them without you there." He stepped forward and grabbed Phantom's forearm, staying just close enough so that he could turn them both intangible. "A little more gravity-defying and a little less arm wrenching this time, please..."

Phantom's green eyes flashed and he pulled Danny closer, sweeping the boy into his arms in one swift movement. "If you insist." He grinned and then phased the two of them through the ceiling again, returning to Tucker's bedroom floor.

On a whim, he paused and leaned close to the boy in his arms. He planted a quick kiss on Danny's forehead, ignoring the gasp from two other teenagers who had been playing cards on Tucker's bed. Phantom dropped his human and dodged a punch before flashing his wings and fleeing the scene, a wide grin on his face.

**A/N**

Hello, everyone! Okay, I'm going to level with you. This fanfic is a little different from what a lot of you are used to. You see, this fan fiction is actually refurbished RP logs between Dream Trace and myself, an RP originally intended to allow me to teach Dream Trance the art of sex writing.

We've been working on this on and off since March, but lately we decided that it might be worth turning into a real fan fiction. Especially after it started getting really interesting…you guys will see that come to pass in part 2.

Now that said, being based RP logs, it's probably below our usual quality level for finished fan fiction...and if you couldn't already tell, the level of sexual content will be much higher than you would normally get in a Tangi-Trance story.

Think of this story like both our other fan fictions, but with the kink level set to elven. So if you're down for kinky demon-sex stay tuned. Second chapter should be out as soon as we can finish a full edit/re-write.

Also, I would like to make a note that since this fan fic is born of RP logs it won't slow down any other projects. (We only RP when we are too lazy to write anyway.)


	2. Conflict Theory

**********Co-write between Tangerine Catnip and Dream Trance**

* * *

**Chapter 2: ****Conflict Theory**

A distant chiming from Old Amity Park's clock tower broke the still air, just clear enough to be heard all the way on the other side of town. A creature that had been resting in the shadows of a rooftop stirred at the sound, glowing green eyes cutting the darkness. The clock chimed once, twice, three times, all the way to twelve. Midnight...Phantom climbed to his feet, stretching out his back before he shot into the sky.

Ten minutes later, he alighted on the roof of Fenton Works for the second time that night. He paused a moment, breathing deep to steady himself for whatever challenge his human half would pose.

He had spent most of the evening getting ready for this moment, the most gulling preparation being an impromptu visit to the Ghost Zone where he 'borrowed' some of Nocturne's sleep dust. Just a little sprinkled over Jazz and Danny's parents to guarantee he and Danny weren't interrupted. The family would wake up tomorrow feeling better rested than ever, oblivious to what had occurred whilst they slept, even if the boys managed to wreck half the house tonight.

Of course, that had been a few hours ago, slow hours Phantom had endured on the hope that Danny may have given up his watch and fallen asleep, or at the very least, would be too tired to resist for long.

Still, if one wants the best, one prepares for the worst, and this…this was something that Phantom wanted so badly he could not even attempt to explain it.

Without another thought, he passed through the roof and landed deftly on the end of the human's bed. Spying the lump in the covers, he cracked a slight grin and fought against the urge to simply pounce on Danny. He knew the boy better than anyone and knew tonight wasn't going to end without a few cut lips and bruises.

He shivered slightly at the thought; he wanted the challenge, the chance to incite that fire in the human's eyes. He wanted it almost as much as he wanted the soft moans and panted breaths as he slowly brought his counterpart closer to pure bliss.

Slowly, Phantom lowered himself to the floor. Unable to hold it back any longer, he wrenched the blankets off the human in one sudden movement.

As soon as air struck his face, Danny whipped out the Thermos that had been tucked under his pillow, the uncapped end pointed at Phantom's nose. Green eyes widened and caught Danny's smirk before the human pressed the button. An intense whirlpool of light swallowed Phantom and dragged him into the Thermos, wings and all, with only a startled shout to mark his passing.

Danny capped the Thermos, his smirk losing some of its edge. "Well…that was anticlimactic."

A moment of silence echoed around the room, and then the thermos in Danny's hand started beeping wildly. It shook in his hand like an isolated earthquake and the readout display flashed a warning about incompatible energy. The beeping grew louder, the green display on the thermos turned red, and the metal began to strain outwards, a small crack appearing on its side. The warning changed to "chamber failed, implosion immanent."

With a startled shout, Danny threw it across the room. It hit the wall with a metallic clang and promptly split in two, each end rocketing off in a different direction. A green mist filled the room and rematerialized into Phantom. He doubled over on the floor, an arm crossed over his chest as he shook from the effort of expulsing so much energy.

"That…was a dirty trick," he panted, trying to force himself to his feet.

Despite the shock numbing his body, Danny snapped, "Me? You're the one who tried to attack me in my sleep! Talk about cheating!" His eyes darted around the room in a panic, searching for something else he could use…but he'd put all his faith in the Thermos containing Phantom. He hadn't even considered a plan B!

The ghost managed to stand, and Danny's gaze snapped to him before flitting to the bedroom door past Phantom's form. He glanced between the two a second before he scurried off his bed and made a mad dash for the door, his only thought to get to the weapons vault.

Phantom took off after Danny like a bat out of hell and slammed the human to the hallway wall just outside his bedroom door. He slipped an arm around his stomach, holding him in place as he pressed his bare chest against Danny's pajama clad back.

"Your ability to ignore the facts knows no end. I told you I would be visiting you tonight." Phantom's other hand laced through Danny's black hair as he leaned closer, lowering his voice. "Don't forget, we are only here tonight because I decided not to press you at Tucker's."

Cold breath ghosted over Danny's skin as Phantom nuzzled into the space between his neck and shoulder, basking in the feel of the human's warm aura. He could feel Danny's racing heart and nervous tension, tempting him like the wonderful smell of fresh cookies. "You can continue to deny the truth if you wish," Phantom continued, "so long as you realize that getting emotional only makes me want you more…"

White hair tickled the skin behind his ear, and Danny squinted one eye shut, sucking air through his teeth as he felt pleasurable tingles dance beneath his skin in response to the ghost's lips brushing against his sensitive neck. Those lips parted, a wet tongue slid out to taste his skin, and Danny's eyes snapped open wide.

Adrenaline once again fueling his system, Danny twisted and drove his elbow into the stomach behind him. Phantom pulled back with a slight grunt, his head now positioned behind Danny's, and the human quickly rammed the back of his skull against Phantom's forehead. Hearing the pained shout from behind him, Danny slipped out of Phantom's stunned hold and raced down the hall toward the staircase.

"You're not the only one with fighting experience, Phantom!" he called over his shoulder.

The demon took a moment to recover, hardly able to believe the human had just managed that. Phantom had known he had chosen a challenge, but that didn't stop his angered reaction. He pushed off from the ground and flapped his wings before shooting down the hallway.

Danny managed to get just outside the weapons vault when Phantom careened into his back, throwing the human to the floor. Phantom sat on the human's hips, one hand clamping around Danny's slender throat. "And you're not the one with unimaginable powers," he snarled, glaring into those bright blue eyes that were filled with surprise and terror.

A moment passed before Phantom shifted on top of Danny, taking a deep breath as he forced himself to calm. He didn't want this… he didn't want fear or hatred. The grip loosened around Danny's neck and after another moment he spoke. "I don't want to hurt you, Danny…. Just-just give me a moment to talk, and if you're not satisfied I will allow you access to the vault." Phantom tilted his head towards the giant metal door that his human half had been so desperate to access.

Danny's Adam's apple bobbed against Phantom's palm as the boy swallowed, the aftereffects of fear leaving his eyes wide and his heart beating frantically against his chest. "Y-yeah?" he asked. He closed his hands around the ghost's forearms, the useless hold satisfying his instinctive need to defend himself from his attacker. "Then talk."

That seemed to appease Phantom. He made a low purring sound deep in his throat and released Danny's neck, settling on the human's hips. He leaned over Danny, staring into those defiant eyes, steadying himself before turning on his charm.

"I need to know" Phantom said. Each syllable rolled off his tongue, his voice so low it almost sounded like a purr. "Why do you keep fighting me?" Warm tendrils of power wrapped around Danny's slender body, sinking beneath his skin. "What is it about what I'm offering makes blasting me in the face a favorable option?"

"Because you…I mean, I don't…" Danny blinked repeatedly, Phantom's seductive voice echoing in his ears. It summoned a warmth in him he was afraid to acknowledge. The human swallowed, his eyes lowering as he sunk further beneath the haze, too lost in the moment to notice Phantom's energy binding them together. "Umm…"

"You're fighting tooth and nail against something you don't even understand." Phantom's hand cupped Danny's face, his thumb slowly stroking his cheek as he spoke. "It's simple, so basic…there's nothing to fear…"

Phantom pressed their bodies together and rested his head on Danny shoulder, whispering into his ear, "All it takes is one big step, just relax and give yourself over to absolute pleasure" Phantom rocked his hips back against Danny's, drawing a soft moan from his captive. "I can give it all to you, you know I have the power."

Danny reopened his eyes, forcing himself to focus on the glowing eyes above him. Phantom's eyes were shinning brighter than usual, but it took Danny a moment to realize what that meant. The ghost was using his powers somehow. The boy shook his head, brushing the hand away from his cheek. "No…I, um…" What was he objecting to again? And why was he objecting to it? "Just, um…No."

"That's not a proper answer, Danny." Phantom chuckled and slid a hand under the human's shirt, his fingers tracing over the warm skin. "I can sense how you're feeling. You want to give in…and why don't you?" Fingertips found a tight bud of flesh and Phantom rolled it between his fingers, drawing a soft cry of pleasured pain form the human. "I can bring you so much pleasure with just a single touch"

Danny breathed heavily from his mouth, eyes fluttering as Phantom's touch furthered the warm haze engulfing him, too overwhelmed by the heat to struggle against it. The demon's energy licked at his skin, tantalizing him with wisps of pleasure, the bond of lust strengthening with each word Phantom spoke, with each caress Phantom bestowed. Danny groaned, aching to accept the voice's offer and surrender to the fuzzy warmth blurring his vision…or maybe that was his eyes falling to half-mast.

He forced his eyes open, staring hazily up at Phantom, and of their own accord, he felt his hands travel up the ghost's arms, intending to pull him down to his level.

The hand on his stomach lowered and ran over Danny's tummy, rubbing the skin softly to create a slight tingling feeling that had the human's eyes closing tightly again. Pleased at the positive response, Phantom slowly slid his hand lower and traced a finger over the edge of Danny' pajama pants before sliding his cold hand under the waistband.

The sudden icy touch in such a warm area fractured the haze enough for a single thought to flit across Danny's mind, but that single thought of panic was all the boy needed to regain a margin of control. His eyes snapped open and caught the green tendrils dancing across his skin, sinking beneath his flesh like transparent leeches. Screaming in panic, the boy shoved the source of the threads off him.

Danny's sudden rejection of the spell hit Phantom's like a slap to the face, the slow trickle of life-giving lust pulled from his grasp before he even had a proper taste. He landed on his backside, the tendrils of energy fading away just as his eyes snapped open, his relaxed mood shattering.

The loss of weight on his hips, the disappearance of the warm haze, left Danny aching and cold. He laid there a moment, panting like he'd just run a marathon, but at the sound of an inhuman growl, he forced himself to sit up. He watched as Phantom struggled to his feet, his ghostly body trembling with the force of his emotions.

Green eyes filled with the single minded savagery of a starving wolf as they locked on Danny's form. "No…I will not allow it!" he screamed and then threw himself at Danny, but his aim was sloppy and unfocused, and the teen managed to scramble out of Phantom's path just in time.

The demon hit the floor but quickly returned to his feet, one hand glowing with barley contained energy. "You will submit to me, Fenton... even if I have to take it from your unconscious body!"

Hair on the back of Danny's neck stood on end, fear forcing him back a step. That fear and concern for his ghost half warred for his attention before he shoved both aside with the practiced ease of a ghost fighter. He shifted to the balls of his feet, ready to dance with his ghost.

"Not a chance in hell, Phantom," he said, bending at the knees in preparation for a battle. He had fought ghosts before, after all…but not for long without ghost powers. Hopefully he could knock Phantom away long enough for him to type in the code to the weapons vault.

Phantom's wings flared to either side like an eagle before it took flight, the extra mass making him look larger and more threatening as he stalked towards the human. "I wouldn't be one to talk of hell, Danny," he growled lowly. "Your pitiful human mind cannot even imagine the darkness that creates a monster like me..."

Phantom lowered his head, white bangs covering his eyes and exposing his sharp horns. He eyed the defensive stance Danny held, unimpressed. "Only Danny Fenton would be stubborn and stupid enough to resist me this long," he muttered, resisting a smile when Danny rose to the insult.

Using the moment of distraction, he pounced and landed a hit to Danny's midsection, careful not to break any ribs, but still forceful enough to wind the human. His wings flapped once, the force of air pushing the stunned teen so he landed with a thump on the hallway floor, tensing just in time to save his head from slamming into the hardwood.

"What is with knocking me down?" Danny shouted. Past experience warned him how hazardous this position was, and he frantically tried to struggle out from beneath Phantom.

The ghost held his hips in place and slid further up his body, not even bothering to lift himself up first. "I think it's a preferable position for you, second only to being bent over something sturdy…" Phantom purred, enjoying how Danny's cheeks flushed bright red again.

A flash of white brought Danny's focus to the wings poised above them. Quickly, he snatched a handful of feathers and yanked…gaining an unintentional souvenir.

Phantom reeled back onto his knees, screeching in pain, and Danny bent his legs at the knees and used his stomach muscles to launch himself at the ghost, effectively knocking the other boy onto his back. At Phantom's second pained shout, guilt struck Danny's conscious, and the boy scrambled off him. He dashed towards the vault again, only for the ghost to seize his ankle and drag him back to the floor.

Phantom turned him over and pinned Danny for the third time that night, one hand holding down both his wrists, the other lacing through those short black locks. He pulled Danny's head back by his hair, exposing the human's slender throat. Phantom leaned in and slowly he ran his tongue up the side of Danny's neck.

The human tried to pull away but he simply tightened his grip, ignoring the hiss of pain the human gave as his hair was pulled. Pushed so close together, Phantom felt a low spark of delight from the human.

_Well what do you know, _Phantom thought, smirking against the warm skin,_ looks like innocent Danny likes to be treated a little roughly._ Phantom suddenly bit down on Danny's neck, the spike of pain mixed with pleasure making them both moan in unison.

Phantom continued to nibble on Danny, using his strength to resist the human's struggles. After a few moments he pulled back to see his handiwork, grinning at the host of red marks that stood out against Danny's pale skin.

For a moment it, looked like Danny was going to say something, but Phantom leaned back down and smashed their lips together, kissing the human forcefully before he got the chance.

Danny tried to struggle against the kiss, but the hand in his hair held his head still. Phantom's lips were cold and rough and he hated how well they fit against his own, his bottom lip pressed against the crease of Phantom's. He clamped his teeth shut to deny the ghost access, but the other boy didn't even try.

The cold lips parted and then closed around Danny's bottom lip. A wet tongue massaged the tender skin as Phantom sucked it into his mouth, and Danny's breathing quickened, his teeth parting. Phantom nibbled a little on Danny's bottom lip before he released it and tilted his head, kissing Danny deeply again until the human's need for air convinced him to pull away.

A long moment of silence passed as the blue eyed male recovered. Phantom watched him carefully, the glow in his eyes fading as his anger ebbed, the kiss having provided just enough power to sooth the gnawing hunger that had threatened what little sanity the ghost possessed.

"…That was your first kiss, wasn't it?" Phantom realized, unsure whether he should feel guilty or satisfied about stealing his first.

"Yeah…" Danny's eyes widened. "I-I mean, no! S-Sam was."

Phantom frowned, feeling as if a treat had been stolen from him. "Fake out make outs don't count."

"D-do too." The human's tongue darted out to soothe the tender lip on instinct—or so he told himself—and received a taste of Phantom's saliva for his efforts. The bright green eyes watching from above intensified the blush, and he tore his gaze away, looking over the ghost's shoulder.

But as soon as he wasn't looking at Phantom, the memory of his first kiss assaulted his mind. Remembered pleasure burst against his skin, around his neck and lips, reminding him with irritating persistence just how much he was enjoying this…despite his attempts to deny it.

Phantom settled on Danny's hips again, releasing his grip on the other boy's hair. The fingers traced down his cheek and found their way to the highest button on the human's PJ top. "Come on, Fenton," Phantom chided, sliding the button free of its hole before moving on to the next one. "Don't tell me you're speechless for once in your life. Go on, tell me how you hate this, lie to my face…maybe it will make you feel better."

With every second, more and more of Danny's chest was exposed, the chill of the night and Phantom's cold body making the human shiver. "I don't care if you kick and scream, because I know how you really feel…You love this."

"D-do not!" A second later, he realized how childish and pathetic that sounded. Cue unhappy Danny pout. He tested Phantom's grip on his wrists and wiggled like he was trying to slink away…and for the record, the friction was an irritation, not a turn on. "And-and hey! You said I could keep my clothes on!"

Phantom chuckled, a deep mirthless sound that would have made lesser souls quiver in fear. "Let's just say all bets were off as soon as you tried to take a chunk out of my wing." Phantom unfastened the last of the buttons and traced his finger's over Danny's lightly muscled chest. "What I do to you now depends entirely on your cooperation…and whether or not you beg for more..." The ghost dipped down to trail soft kisses up Danny's exposed skin, the warmth of the human's body feeling so right against his cold lips.

"W-what the hell is that supposed to…m-mean?" Danny eyes fluttered, wanting to close. Not only did Phantom's kisses tickle, they also felt a little too, well, tender. Which was oddly comforting and a little frightening as well. "S-some sort of threat? …And would you stop that?"

"Mumm…it's both a threat and a promise…and no, I don't think I will." To prove it, Phantom trailed another line up Danny's chest, ending with a kiss against the dip of his collarbone. After finishing, he released Danny's arms and settled on his hips, gazing into blue eyes.

"Here, let me give you your first set of options. Either you return to your bedroom with me without any violence…or we proceed in the middle of the hall." Phantom crossed his arms over his chest and arched an eyebrow. "I believe you would be more comfortable in your bed…"

Danny bit his lip, considering. The floor was definitely uncomfortable, but accepting the deal meant admitting defeat...which meant admitting he was attracted to his ghost half...well, the demon who was once inside him. And once they alone were in the privacy of his bedroom, he would be surrendering himself to whatever the ghost had planned. The mere thought made him shiver, he wasn't quite sure what emotion prompted it.

Sighing, Danny pinched his eyes shut. "Fine," he said, feeling as if he'd just signed his virginity's death warrant. "Get off me..."

Phantom made a low sound of appreciation almost like purring. He slid off the prone human, but quickly slipped his hands under Danny and lifted him up into his arms before he could stand on his own and consider escaping. Ignoring his counterpart's protests, Phantom flashed his wings and carried him back down the hall in record time.

And just like that, in a flash of feathers Danny was right back at square one. Phantom pushed open the door to his room with the toe of his boot and carried Danny across the threshold like a newlywed bride, Phantom holding the human close, their bare chests pressed together.

Out of the corner of his eye, Phantom spotted the burn marks on the wall next to what remained of the Fenton Thermos. He hummed under his breath. "I don't envy you having to explain that one to your parents."

He was about to drop Danny on the bed, but decided against it. Instead, he lowered the human and spread him out over the bedspread, tracing his fingers along Danny's side, his own ghostly aura and the moon outside the only source of light in the room.

Danny scooted back, meaning to put more distance between him and the ghost, but Phantom just followed him, climbing onto the mattress himself. Groaning, Danny dropped his head onto his pillow. He felt flustered and placed his hands on Phantom's shoulders to hold the ghost back.

"All right, all right, we're in the room! What, um…We're not going to…Um, what happens now?" He flinched at the way his voice cracked, as well as how stupid that question was. He _knew_ what the ghost wanted. But it would at least slow him down, hopefully.

Phantom smirked. "Why don't you tell me…would you like to start slow? Or would you prefer I just begin ravishing you?" He let the question hang in the air, loving the fearful look in those blue eyes…Then he gave Danny a fake pout and shrugged off the boy's hands, wrapping an arm around the human's neck.

Before Danny knew what hit him, he was on his stomach, Phantom straddling the back of his hips. He phased the pajama top all the way off and tossed it away. Danny tensed, waiting for the worst, but when Phantom's touch returned, he only gripped his shoulders, digging the palm of his hands into newly sore muscles on Danny's back, massaging the area in the same slow circles he had used last time.

Danny's muscles tensed further, surprised by the sudden mood change, but Phantom's hands soon eased his anxiety, calming his body and his mind.

"This seemed to relax you last time I did it," Phantom murmured. He drove the heels of his palms into the knots in Danny's shoulder muscles and stroked up and outwards, repeating the action until the knots relaxed. "After putting up such a fight you could probably use it."

Blue eyes closed, the human lowered his head into his pillow, small sounds of pleasure muffled by the cotton. He could get used to this…

Phantom worked his thumbs in small circles, feeling Danny relax under his touch. Slowly he made his way down to the human's lower back. He griped Danny's hips firmly, copying the motions he had used on the shoulders, but this time the motion drew a quiet moan from the human.

Phantom raised an eyebrow, but grinned when he realized he had found a sensitive spot. He repeated the motion with similar results. Danny must not have known he had it or Phantom would have been aware of it. The ghost made a mental note about its location, saving the knowledge for later.

He leaned forward and trailed another line of kisses across Danny's shoulders, stopping near his ear to ask, "Enjoying yourself?" Danny made an affirmative sounding noise and Phantom chuckled. "I thought so… many women prefer to have a back massage before sex too."

Danny's eyes snapped open. "What?" He pushed himself onto his elbows, disrupting the ghost's massage. "Take that back! I am not a chick, Phantom!"

Phantom tilted his head, unfazed. "No, you're not…but you're every bit as beautiful as one." The ghost leaned down again and kissed the side off Danny's neck, arms slipping around to hug his bare chest.

Danny flushed all the way to his ears, both at the comment and Phantom's actions. "Um..." How was he supposed to reply to that? Return the compliment, call him a liar? Danny groaned and buried his heated face in his pillow again. "Stupid ghost-demon-thing..." he mumbled into the pillow.

"Yes, but I'm your ghost-demon thing," Phantom corrected. He hugged Danny close, then rolled the two of them over again. The back of Danny's ebony hair covered head rested against Phantom's chest as the ghost settled the teenager in his lap. Phantom propped himself against the pillows, enjoying every inch of contact he had with his human.

He was just going back to nibbling and licking at Danny's abused throat when a perverted idea crossed his mind. He griped Danny's hips and pulled the human's lower half closer, grinding against Danny's soft backside. The human gasped and Phantom knew why. He slowly rocked his hips again, knowing Danny could feel his half-hard erection through their pants. "Mum…you can feel that can't you, Fenton? Every bit of that is from you."

"Th-that, um, I, uh…" To say Danny was blushing would be an understatement. He braced his hands on Phantom's arms, trying to ease his lower half away from the ghost's hips. "Y-you sure it's not just because you're a pervert?"

"Maybe…" Phantom slipped his hand between Danny's legs and skimmed his fingers up the inside of his thigh. "But if that makes me a pervert then what does this make you?" Phantom dipped between his legs, rubbing a few fingers against Danny's own growing arousal.

Danny visibly jolted, gasping. "A-a perfectly normal teenager!" he cried, now pressing himself flush against Phantom and away from his hand. The heat in his abdomen was dissatisfied with this reaction and chased Phantom's hand a second before Danny fought the instinct back under control.

"You certainly don't act like one." Phantom paused to kiss the spot just under Danny's ear. "I've never seen a teenager put up such a fight to avoid getting laid…" Phantom's fingers tugged at the sides of Danny's pajama bottoms, slowly sliding them down his thighs.

"Most teenagers don't have an alter-ego who's also a sex demon with wings and horns and fangs and...glowy stuff." Nevertheless, the comment tore at Danny's drive to be normal. In his hesitation, he allowed the ghost to remove his pants, but afterwards he pulled his bare legs to his chest and hugged his knees, his red face turned away from Phantom.

"No they don't…but that's just one more reason why you're special," Phantom murmured, and then sunk his fangs into Danny's shoulder. Danny's cry of pain was interrupted as the ghost suddenly dematerialized. The boy fell back onto his bed, his clenched legs falling open just in time for Phantom to re-appear above him, wings spread.

"And speaking of sex demons, this one has gone far too long without a proper meal." Phantom pounced on the bare form of his counterpart, trailing kisses down his chest and passed his belly button.

Soft lips pressed to Danny's hips, and blue eyes shut tight, bracing himself for what would happen next. But instead of cold lips, Danny felt the electric charge of ectoplasm tightening around his upper thighs. By the time he pushed himself up to see, Phantom had already bound both his legs with ecto-tethers, hooking them to the frame of the bed so they would force the human's legs apart.

"I'm sorry about this, Danny, but I can't have you kicking me once I begin the ritual..."

"Ritual?" Danny tugged against the tethers, not trying to break them (yet), but seeing how much range of motion they left him. To his unease, less than he was hoping. "Dude, you never mentioned any ritual!"

Phantom's eyes began to glow again, his whole body lighting up as his aura kicked into overdrive. "If I had told you, I would have never been able to win even this much confidence... and since I needed you to say yes…" Phantom sighed, his voice suddenly taking on an unearthly tone. "You don't have to fear. It's an old formality, enacted by the Observer council to prevent my kind from raping and murdering humans at will."

Phantom's wings folded behind his back. The room seemed to darken around the two of them, but there were no lights on in the first place…that had to be impossible... "It's a kind of forced monogamy, once completed we will be bonded together, not unlike the way we were before." Phantom ran a hand along one of Danny's slender legs as he explained. "When it is finished, I will be able to feed off of you, and you alone"

"That's…" Danny blinked trying to shift away from Phantom despite the tethers holding him in place. "What, like…marriage? D-don't I get a say in this? Where was the 'speak now or forever hold your peace' part?"

Phantom grinned exposing the small fangs that were responsible for all the marks on Danny's neck. "That part is already over. You accepted when you presented yourself to me." Green eyes roved over Danny's exposed flesh hungrily, taking extra time to observe the area between his legs.

However, as much as things were going his way at the moment, the fear and panic rising in Danny was running the mood he was going for. Phantom pressed a hand to Danny's thigh and shot a pulse through his nervous system, overloading him with a wave of pure bliss.

Danny collapsed a second later, dazed and groggy but not panicky or fretful any longer. A part of him wanted to rail against the familiar haze settling over his mind, punch Phantom for manipulating him with his powers again, but that part was distant and spoke in a whisper.

With his eyes opened to mere slits, his vision was slightly blurred and as a result, the twin effects of Phantom's glow and the two wings folded against his back gave the demon a sort of angelic appearance, and Danny didn't even bother to fight his smile.

Pleased that Danny was no longer panicking, Phantom continued, "You can think of it like marriage, except you may take other partners, while I am bound to you and only you for life…well, your life anyway," he added with a touch of sadness. Still, now was not the time to dwell on how short mortals lives were or how little time he would have with his chosen human.

As Phantom spoke, Danny's mind regained some ground, but his eyes refused to open fully and the smile was hard to remove. "That's not, um…" He blinked a couple times. "That's not very fair to you, though."

Phantom chuckled. "Ohh, Danny…" He slid forward, sliding between the teen's legs and pulling his hips into his lap, mindful of the restraints around his thighs. "Always thinking of others before yourself…I've always loved that about you." Green ectoplasmic tendrils wrapped around Danny's legs, the skin tingling on contact with the wisps of power.

Phantom leaned over the human, looking straight into his blue eyes. "If this exchange is unfair to anyone, however, it would be you. You will have to bare the weight of being my partner." He cupped Danny's cheek in his hand, tilting the human's head so he could admire the marks that had been left on his neck and shoulders. "Although I will do everything in my power to make it as pleasurable as I can…"

"What do you mean?" Danny's eyes fell closed, and with one sense blocked off, the others heightened in intensity. The soft buzz of latent power against his bare legs, the cool feel of the Phantom beneath his hips...the tip of his tongue still held a phantom chill from the ghost's saliva. "It's not going to hurt is it?" he slurred.

"A little…but you've been through much worse. Just hold still and open your mouth…" Phantom murmured, blinking in surprised when Danny obeyed him without question. The human's lips parted and phantom lifted a hand, his fingertips resting on the middle of Danny's soft tongue.

"That's a good boy…" Phantom breathed. "Now suck them."

Danny's forehead wrinkled. He slit his eyes open again, but Phantom's features didn't give him much answer. He hesitated a second longer before obediently swallowing around the fingers, his tongue naturally curving around the digits. He half expected to taste salt, sweat, maybe even dirt.

Instead he received a sour taste, a small zap against his tongue similar to those the bonds around his legs gave off. Maybe ghosts secreted ectoplasm instead of sweat. whatever it was, it tickled his tongue. A chocked laugh bubbled up from his throat.

Phantom nearly started laughing with him. Instead, he slid his fingers further into Danny's open mouth, careful not to upset his gag reflex as he slid them in and out rhythmically against the humans soft lips.

After a moment Danny relaxed into him. The tingling sensation doing its job to distract him from the suggestive movements. Phantom indulged for as long as he could before the urge to get to the next step got the better of him.

Slowly, he removed his hand. Danny's eyes opened, but then shut tightly again as Phantom wet his other fingers with Danny's saliva and wrapped them around his most sensitive part.

Air left Danny's lungs a second before flooding back inside, held and remained trapped. A small shout caught in his throat as he arched into the ghost's hand. For a brief second, his shock allowed fear to take root in his mind again, and his hands flew up to grab Phantom's shoulders, his eyes impossibly wide and gazing straight into the ghost's. Then Phantom stroked his hand along his cock, and Danny's eyes pinched shut, his fingers convulsing around the ghost's bare shoulders.

The saliva on his hand allowed Phantom's fingers to slide easily across Danny's heated skin, the human's arousal getting more and more pronounced with every stroke of his fingers. The ghost only paused his movements to rub the tip lightly with his thumb, before going back to those slow teasing strokes.

This time Danny moaned loudly, his hips shifting to move in time with Phantom's hand movements. The ghost smiled, taking advantage of Danny's open mouth, he pressed their lips together, sliding his tongue into the wet heat of the human's mouth.

Danny released his shoulders and flung his arms around the ghost's back, pulling Phantom to his heaving chest as he responded eagerly to the kiss. He drove his own tongue against Phantom's, compelling the ghost into a more frenzied kiss. He threw off the slow rhythm of Phantom's hand motions and thrust his hips at a more frantic pace, whimpering against his partner's lips.

Phantom slid his tongue across his counterpart's teeth, the tender flow of lustful energy between the two surging as the demon was overwhelmed by Danny's emotions. In return he shot another pulse though the invisible connection they shared. The human convulsed again and Danny's gasp broke the kiss, his head falling back against the pillows, clutching Phantom to him with all his strength while Phantom pressed his lips to the human's forehead, his hand's squeezing around Danny's cock.

"Enjoying yourself, Danny?"

Breathing heavily against the ghost's neck, Danny could only mumble something unintelligible. Even he wasn't sure what he said. The way his brain was working right now, it was probably a broken affirmative.

But in his unfocused mind, that didn't show his feelings well enough. Danny parted his lips and sealed them around a spot on Phantom's neck, sucking softly, acquiring a taste for the ghost's skin and trying to cause him same kind of pleasure he'd shown him.

Phantom shivered in delight, a wave of desire overtaking him. Without thinking about it, he pushed Danny off of him. The teen appeared hurt for a moment, probably thinking he had been rejected. Phantom felt a pang of guilt, but he was far too close to his goal to get sidetracked now.

Phantom closed his fingers into a fist, then after a short moment uncurled them. A slick shine caught Danny's eyes and he noticed Phantoms fingers were coated in some kind of glowing liquid, likely a form of ectoplasm. Phantom's other hand grabbed Danny's thigh, spreading his legs even farther than the chains were forcing.

Slicked fingers prodded the teen in a spot he had never even thought would be involved in this, and Phantom opened the flood gates of shared emotion, trying to assert Danny's feelings of lust to counteract the sudden ones of panic, hoping against hope it would be enough.

Danny drove his teeth into his bottom lip. His fingers fisted his sheets, but his hips held still, and Phantom sighed heavily in relief. His eyes flashed as the thought crossed his mind that the teen was really about to become his. Slowly, he pressed into Danny, the warm tightness clenching against his fingers, unused to the intrusion. "Relax," Phantom hissed, griping Danny's hip tightly with his other hand.

Danny sucked in air through his teeth, creating a hissing noise. "Kind of h-hard to relax when your fingers are up my…m-my, um…" He groaned and pinched his eyes closed. Another spike of pleasure coursed through him. His lips worked silently for a moment before he consciously tried to force his muscles to relax around the intrusion.

"Yes it is, but so far you're doing well…. especially since no one has ever touched you like this before." Phantom slid a second slicked finger into Danny, working them forwards and back slowly, stretching the inner muscles. Phantom kissed Danny's lips briefly, adding in a hushed murmur, "I know it feels strange now, but soon enough you'll come to love the feeling of me inside of you…"

"I d-doubt that." Unwillingly, he began to clench again, but the pain it caused made him quickly work at reversing that action. "This is beyond strange…" Danny opened an eye, gazing up at Phantom. "W-why are you…uamm…I-is it part of the r-ritual?"

"Yes, but that's not why I'm doing this." Phantom twisted his wrist, curving the fingers. On the second try he found it. His grip on Danny's hip prevented the teen from pulling away as he stimulated a sensitive spot that Danny didn't even know he had. Another deep moan filled the darkened room and Phantom finished his sentence. "that's why…"

"Ahh, oh…" Danny's eye fluttered closed before he forced both open. He licked his lips, fighting with himself, but desire won in the end, and he moved his hips, pushing back against Phantom's fingers. "Again."

Phantom's smug grin was almost intolerable; luckily Danny didn't need to look at it for long before another wave of pleasure overtook him. Phantom repeated the move, his inward hand motions speeding up and focusing on that little bundle of nerves. Danny practically squirmed in bliss, his body finally relaxing as he relinquished himself to his carnal desires.

The demon added a third finger, but Danny didn't seem to notice. He was too busy rocking his hips, fucking himself on Phantom's fingers like a trained slut. "What was that you were saying about never getting used to this?"

Danny opened his mouth to respond, but another pass over those nerves turned his words into a garbled swear. Once he regained his voice, he said, "Oh, shut it…" His embarrassment was clear despite the thick tone of his voice, but he was enjoying himself a little too much to care.

Phantom moved in time with Danny's hips enjoying the rhythmic panting and rocking. If he didn't have his eyes set on the whole prize, he might have been content to just let Danny find completion like this…

The demon bit his lip. He hated to do it, but if he was going to have a shot at getting a willing Danny into his lap it was a necessary evil. He pulled back his hand, wincing at the disappointed whimper that came from the human underneath him. He ignored those pleading blue eyes as he found the zipper on the bottom half of his suit.

Phantom sighed in relief as he slid the fabric down, freeing his own length. Glancing up, he noticed the human was staring at him. "Like what you see?" Phantom whispered. He grabbed Danny's legs again and pulled them up to rest on his shoulders. Danny blinked up at Phantom, a second passing before he realized what this new position would allow Phantom to do. "Don't worry, this is will be just like my fingers…only better."

Danny shook his head wildly "There's a—a big difference between fingers and…and…" He cut himself off, eyes wide. "Y-you can't really mean to…how is that even…" He tried to scoot back on his elbows, but Phantom's hands on his legs kept him from going far. "This is crazy!"

Phantom could swear he must have the patience of a saint. "You're right, there is a big difference," he admitted grip tightening on Danny's thigh as he pulled the human back in. "It's about a thousand times more pleasurable, and just as many times more intimate." Phantom leaned over Danny and scooped the teenager into his arms, holding him close. "It's as simple as this, Danny; I want you…I want you like no other has ever had you…"

Danny swallowed and placed his hands on Phantom's shoulders, a weak hold he knew couldn't stop the ghost, even had he tried. "Bu-but, umm…" Even if he overlooked the whole weirdness of another guy's…up his…the fingers hadn't exactly felt good at first. He finally met the green eyes staring intently down at him. He bit his lip, flinching slightly. "Are…are you sure about this?"

"More than anything else," Phantom murmured, leaning down to nuzzle Danny's neck. "You can trust me, I would never let you come to any harm…" A hand strayed between Danny's legs again, stroking his length and reminding him of the pleasure Phantom could give. "I promise I'll be gentle…"

Danny closed his eyes, trembling as he breathed steadily through slightly parted lips. "I…it's just, um…" A few more deep breaths and he laid back on the pillow, his heart fluttering against his ribcage but the rest of him determined not to chicken out. "Okay…okay, but, uh, y-you have to stop if I don't like it or, um, it's—oh, fuck it, just get it over with!"

"Trust me, Danny, this is not something to rush…I'm going to drag everything out as long as I can so you will never forget tonight…" Phantom purred and then grasped Danny's hips again, repositioning him. Fingers closed, and Danny felt a warm liquid drip between his thighs. With his free hand, Phantom coated himself in the gel he seemed able to summon at will.

Strong hands took hold of his hips once more, and something hard and hot prodded Danny's backside. Green eyes didn't leave blue for a second as Phantom pushed his hips forward. Danny's body accepted him with minimal effort, the human's warmth overwhelming him so that Phantom had to grit his teeth to hold back the urge to just thrust forward and take him fully. But he managed to endure, watching Danny carefully for any negative reaction as he filled him.

Danny clenched his jaw, his face scrunching a little in discomfort. It really was different from fingers, although not so much in the way he'd been expecting. He forced himself to continue breathing steadily through his mouth, but it was bizarre and uncomfortable and new, and damn it, Phantom wasn't helping matters by just _staring_ at him.

Growling softly to himself, Danny released Phantom's shoulders and instead placed his hands on either side of Phantom's face, his fingers slightly buried in white hair. He pulled the other boy's face towards his until their lips met.

Phantom leaned into the kiss, pressing himself closer to Danny, wanting to be the only thing the human could feel. Around him, inside of him. In more ways than even the human realized. Green tendrils of power were already lacing into his nervous system, getting ready for the final stage. if he didn't do this right Danny might never forgive him.

Danny's tight heat twitched around him, it seemed he was having trouble relaxing. Phantom made a quick decision and snapped his hips, sheathing himself inside the human with one quick motion, pulling back from the kiss when Danny gasped.

A cuss escaped his lips before Danny bit into the skin of his bottom lip. He jerked reflexively, tightening and then falling back against the ghost's hips. "Warn a guy next time…" he gasped out, blinking. His nerves tingled, sending him all sorts of messages. It made his skin itch, and he found himself trying to pull Phantom closer.

Phantom seemed to have the same idea as he clung tightly to Danny. "It feels so good to be inside you again…" he sighed. "You have no idea…" Phantom longed to start moving, but knew he needed to give Danny time to adjust to being stretched like this. His wings shivered slightly, opening again, and his green eyes glowed brightly.

"You'll have to forgive me a moment…the ritual demands I say a few words to you," Phantom muttered, anxious about his first feeding but unable to disobey the rules. A hand cupped Danny's cheek and Phantom looked deep into his eyes.

"Daniel Fenton, from this moment on, you are my one and only bond-mate... In return for your body and soul I shall protect you with every force under my command." Phantom's forehead bumped Danny's, his green eyes closing. "From this moment we are not two, but one, our lifeforce intertwined, you will be my only concern, your pleasure my sustaining power, for we each hold the other's life in the palm of our hand, and together may we only be."

Phantom leaned down to kiss along Danny's bare shoulders and chest, the air around the two tensed with power, and even Danny could sense that Phantoms words had sealed some kind of ancient magic.

It had a direct link to Danny's mind and body, and he felt himself relaxing in a sort of awed disbelief. They were actually about to…and Phantom had just bound himself to him irreversibly. "Uh…" Danny licked his lips, unsure how to respond, but feeling as if he should, and the fact that Phantom was currently inside him not helping him think any. "Uh, right back at you, dude."

Phantom chuckled, his own body relaxing now that he had fulfilled his duty to Danny, the lust he had been holding back welling up inside him. "May we begin now? Your body is calling for me to finish the job..."

Danny fidgeted slightly, because his body may as well have been calling for all the way it felt like it was on fire. "Yes, just...move or do something, damn it," he said, and jerked hips slightly against Phantom's, almost moaning at that tiny bit of inner friction.

"Only because you asked so nicely," Phantom purred. He withdrew his hips, pulling out of Danny until only the tip of his cock was still inside, and then pushed back in, his hips bumping Danny's. The human's whole body reacted to the thrust, moving in time with the motion. With a pleased sigh, Phantom repeated the motion trying to pick out a nice pace.

Danny looped his arms around Phantom's neck and closed his eyes, small pants leaving his mouth as Phantom rocked against him. Phantom's hard cock drove deeper inside him than he thought possible, hotter than the surrounding muscle and unrelenting as it forced the walls apart with each thrust.

Had he been in his right mind, Danny would have questioned how Phantom could have switched his temperature from cold to hot in just a few short minutes, but he was too overwhelmed by desire to think coherently, let alone question why when something felt so good.

Danny's stumpy nails dug into Phantom's skin, his pants developing into quiet moans and grunts. Phantom wrapped his arms around Danny, pulling the human up into his lap. He seemed uncomfortable at first, but after the new position allowed Phantom to slip even deeper inside him, he didn't seem to mind anymore.

Ghostly fingers grasped his hips again, getting him to tilt his hips until Danny's low moans turned into a cry of pure bliss as Phantom brushed his sweet spot. As soon as the tingling in his legs subsided a bit, Danny braced his hands on Phantom's shoulders, lifted himself up and then propelled his ass back along the length, throwing his head back with a breathless cry when the hard tip stabbed that part of him that made his insides seize with pleasure.

Phantom ground loudly as Danny tightened around him. His lips pursed and he muttered "…so fucking tight…" into Danny's ear. He concentrated his thrusts on that little spot, loving the short gasps and moans he pulled from the shaking body in his lap.

Phantom ran his fingers over Danny's naked form, heated skin slicked with sweat. His heaving chest and twitching tummy, tight muscles and messy hair… as an incubus he loved nothing more than the sight and feel of a human mid-coitus, and that it was his Danny rocking back and forth on his cock made it even more stunning. "Ahah—y-you are s-so unbelievably gorgeous right now…"

It took a second for Danny to register the words, and had he been in his right mind, he would have blushed and stammered and tried to direct focus away from him. All he could manage right then was a small smile, slightly embarrassed but mostly turned on by the words. He bowed his head over Phantom's shoulder, shielding his face.

"I could—ahhh—say the same—ha—about you. Y-you're the angelic one here." He brushed his fingers against the downy feathers at the base of Phantom's wing, his other hand traveling down the demon's back, the muscles rippling beneath his touch in time with Phantom's thrusts.

The incubus's plumage ruffled, and Phantom couldn't help a long moan. His wings were sensitive at the best of times, but now that sensation was mixing with the already mounting pleasure, doubling the sensation. His wings arched and bent forward as far as they could, feathers brushing against as much of Danny as could be reached, enveloping him in a cocoon of soft feathers.

At the same time Phantom's pace was beginning to pick up, thrusting into Danny's willing body with a strange mix of savagery and pure adoration. "For everyone else I'm a daemon," he panted, kissing the human fiercely for a few hot seconds, "but for my Danny I'm an angel…"

Unbidden, Danny's lips curved at the edges. His breaths mixed with Phantom's as he panted against the ghost's mouth, Phantom having yet to move away after the kiss. The feathers stroked his overheated and oversensitive skin as he rode Phantom's quickened thrusts and met them with his own. He was completely surrounded by the ghost's touch, and he loved it.

"H-hard to see you as anything e—ehha—else right now."

Phantom could sense how Danny was melting into him, the energy link between them almost perfect. He was so close to his breaking point, his hips working tirelessly to force himself closer to the final wave of bliss.

Phantom wrapped his hand around Danny's cock again, picking up with fast strokes, matching the pace set by their hips. He kissed Danny's ear, whispering heated words to his counterpart. "That's it, my love…almost there…just lose yourself in pleasure and cum for me…"

Danny's eyes fell closed, his chest heaving as he fought for air. His lower abdomen tightened almost painfully, pleasantly. He honestly couldn't tell the difference right now. His own thrusts became erratic, too frantic to be called a steady pace. Phantom charged power in his hand, a bright green glow spreading across the fingers. It was almost as natural as breathing, turning the waves of pleasure into power and energy. Then he felt Danny slip and as the humans body convulsed, the demon struck.

A hand pressed to Danny's chest, ecto-energy forcing itself into the skin, burning the flesh and permanently damaging his human skin cells. Infusing the area with his mark, ensuring any healing that took place would be done by the altered cells.

The effect was not unlike placing red hot metal to skin, and the pain would have been unbearable had Phantom not intervened. Danny's nervous system was in his complete control; all it took was a slight alteration, and all Danny's human mind could register was pleasure.

The effect was instantaneous. A delighted cry filled Phantom's ears and Danny's whole body went stiff. His eyes wide and unblinking, incapable of logical sense or thought. His grip on Phantom turned into a vice…then after a long second all that tension was released.

His muscles spasmed uncontrollably, tightening around Phantoms' cock to the point of discomfort. Low whimpers filled the air and the manhood in Phantom's hand twitched, Danny's seed spilling over his fingers and lower tummy.

Unable to concentrate any longer Phantom leaned over his human, his green eyes flashing brightly as he found his own release inside Danny's tight heat. The human whimpered softly as he felt the ghost's essence spill inside him, a little dripping down the inside of his thighs.

Danny's forehead fell on Phantom's shoulders, all his energy spent. His breathing and heart rate slowed and evened out, and he released a soft sigh before he lost awareness of everything.

Phantom gingerly poked the human's shoulder to discover that he was out cold. The ghost couldn't help a little grin "Fucked unconscious…I've still got it…" With a snap of his fingers the chains binding Danny to the bed dissipated back into thin wisps of energy.

Phantom extracted himself from his human and then gently lowered Danny to the pillows, mindful of the open wound on his chest. Once he was sure Danny was settled, a hand strayed to his stomach. He scooped up as much of Danny's seed as he could, licking the liquid from his fingers. The flavor exploded in his mouth and he licked his lips happily, his demon taste buds reacting as if it were the sweetest thing he had ever tasted.

Once sure he had gotten every lost drop, Phantom's eyes returned to the burn on Danny's chest. He winced as guilt struck his conscience. He knew there was no other option, but it didn't make it any easier…

He had bound enough of his energy to the burn that when Danny woke up, the scar would be healed, but it would forever exist on his chest for all to see, and he knew Danny would give him an earful for it. For now, though, he only wanted to curl up next to his spent human.

A/N

See~ Tangi and Trance always keep their kinky demon sex promises.

..I'm sorry is that bit at the end was a little confusing, but it's better if you learn more about that mark when Danny does, it's more dramatic.


	3. Cause and Effect

**********Co-write between Tangerine Catnip and Dream Trance**

* * *

******Chapter 3: Cause and Effect ****  
****  
**

Phantom kneeled in the shallow pool of water lining the shower floor. One hand rested on Danny's hip while the other caressed his inner thigh, feeling the muscles twitch irregularly under his fingertips. There was a slight pain at the back of his head from the human's tight grip on his white hair, moving with him as he bobbed his head, running his flexible tongue over heated flesh with every dip of his head.

Hot water rained on the two teenage bodies, forming streams and rivulets as the liquid washed over their bare skin. Water droplets caught in Phantom's tightly folded white wings and made the feathers glisten. His green eyes stared unblinkingly up at Danny, watching the human's face as he moaned and panted, his rigid body pressed flush against the wall like he was trying to work up the willpower to pull away, but couldn't.

Phantom found his continued indecision both annoying and appealing. As much as he enjoyed the desperation and the thrill of breaking his mate's inhabitations, he longed for a time when Danny would take him willingly into his bed without the need for fighting or the use of Phantom's powers.

His gaze caught on the healed mark on Danny's chest, and his heart sank. (Not that you would notice by the way he was working Danny's cock; he was a professional after all.) It's presence reminded him that acceptance was probably something he would have to wait a lot longer for.

He had been insanely lucky Danny had not noticed it yet. As soon as the teen awoke, he had made a beeline for the shower, not bothering to even look down before throwing himself under the showerhead. Of course, locked doors were no problem for Phantom. He had managed to keep Danny distracted long enough to ensure he received a second taste before the boy inevitably saw the permanent scars and flipped his shit.

Heated gasps from his partner brought Phantom back into the moment, but sadly this only meant the calm before the storm was coming to an end.

The human gave a shaky moan, and Phantom moaned back in sympathy. He took it to the hilt as Danny finished and swallowed the delectable flavor filling his mouth. Green eyes flashed behind closed lids as power rushed into his veins, and the twinge of hunger in his belly eased, replaced with a pleasant fullness like he had just eaten a full breakfast.

He pulled back and gave Danny a pleased smile, enjoying the deep blush on the humans' face as he relaxed into his afterglow. Phantom stood and wrapped his arms around Danny, helping him stay on his feet.

Danny gazed back at him for a moment before he swallowed and leaned as far back as the ghost's hold would allow. One hand pressed weakly against Phantom's chest while the other made a desperate attempt to hide the part of his body that was starting to feel less and less private.

"You…" He paused a moment, trying to catch his breath as he searched for the words he had been about to say before Phantom dropped to his knees without warning and wrapped his lips around him. "D…Does privacy mean, like, anything to you?" His eyes fell on Phantom's slightly swollen lips, unable to stop himself from noting the drop of cum at the corner before he tore his gaze away, instead watching water spiral down the drain.

Phantom tilted his head, "There's nothing you need hide from me, Danny. I've already memorized every last inch." He leaned forward and pressed their lips together in an open-mouthed kiss, ignoring the soft squeak from Danny as he realized he was tasting himself on Phantom's tongue.

The ghost reached over Danny's shoulder and turned off the water. "You're clean enough. Come, I need to show you something…" Phantom pushed open the shower doors and stepped out, fluttering his feathers to dislodge some water droplets before he grabbed a towel and tossed it at Danny. The human caught it and hurriedly draped it over his hips. The hero located the bottom half of his suit and went to pull it on, tossing his words back to his other half. "Take a look at yourself in the mirror…and for god's sake don't scream…"

Phantom's words only registered after Danny felt he was sufficiently hidden. He sent the ghost a questioning glance and then followed the other boy out the shower. Even with the towel pinched shut and both his back and front ends well covered, Danny's movements were stiff, like a cautious deer forced to walk in the presence of a predator. The last thing he needed was Phantom to decide he wanted round two.

He walked over to the mirror, not particularly caring that he was dripping water all over the tiled floor because this towel was so not coming off, not even to dry his—Danny's mind screeched to a halt. He stared wide-eyed at his reflection, jaw slack. He fell the remaining step to the counter and pressed as close to the mirror as the sink would allow.

As if they had a mind of their own, his fingers traced the sharp edges of the DP symbol, the boy flinching slightly when the touch produced a dull, prickly kind of ache. It clearly wasn't marker, and he had a sinking feeling it wasn't a tattoo. His eyes met the green eyes reflected in the mirror before returning to his chest. "W- What did you do to me?" he whispered.

Phantom glanced away, not particularly proud of what he had done. "I gave it to you the moment you came for me last night. It's the last step of the ritual." He reached out to Danny, taking his hand away from the marks and holding it in both of his.

Danny just stared, too shocked to think of pulling away just yet. His large blue eyes silently asked why his other half had done this to him, the shock before anger set it. If Phantom was going to explain himself, he better do it quick.

"The binding ritual has three parts. The acceptance, the vows, and then the markings. It's not unlike how after human marriage partners are expected to wear rings." Phantom removed one of his hands from Danny, summoning a small charge to his fingertips and holding them over the scar. The damaged skin began to glow the same electric green. "It marks you forever as my partner. I felt this symbol would make it clear to all who you belong to."

Danny stepped away from Phantom. Shaking his head like it was just a bad dream he could shake off. His eyes locked on his reflection again, and a hollow pressure seized his gut, his heart clenching painfully. "You…you branded me. L-like a…Y-you—" Another step back and he pulled his hand from Phantom's grasp. Finally meeting the demon's eyes, Danny felt his hands fist at his sides. "You didn't warn me about this…you never even asked if I wanted any of part this!"

Thoughts chased his brain as he tried to process past events and Phantom's actions, his motives, intentions. Terrible realization after terrible realization tore through his mind, striking him like physical blows. He stumbled back another step at the force of them and ran his hands through his wet hair, his scarred chest heaving. "Y-You didn't ask me anything! You just took what you wanted and to hell with what I wanted!"

"Yes…yes I did…" Phantom admitted and stepped away from the counter, "but you didn't give me a choice. Can you honestly tell me you would have agreed to any of this if I hadn't?" Phantom's wings extended as he gestured at the air, indicating the events of the last few days. "I couldn't let you say no to me, Danny. I just couldn't..."

Danny eyes narrowed, not buying this for a second. "You didn't even try! And did you ever think that there was a reason why I would say no? Like, maybe, because I didn't want this?"

Phantom stiffened, the rejection hitting him harder than he would admit. It seemed that Danny's emotions were starting to affect him already, and Phantom fought to keep himself in check. One of them had to stay reasonable or else this argument would go nowhere.

Not taking his eyes off the human, Phantom moved to place himself between the teen and the bathroom door, blocking the exit. "You're only fifteen, Danny. You refused to see what the consequences of your choices might be. Like it or not, in the grand scheme of things it didn't matter what you wanted. You were not making the right choice so I had to take that choice from you."

"Don't give me that crap!" Danny yelled, slashing his hand through the air between them. "I've been making decisions—_life-altering_ decisions long before I knew you even existed!" He stomped forward, expression murderous. "You never gave me a chance to decide. Never explained it fully to me. How dare you have…s-sex with me and then act as if I'm too much of a child to make my own decisions!"

Phantom growled, his willpower failing and anger setting in. "Well I thought I made it pretty damn clear that this whole city would go up in flames if you didn't see things my way." His wings flashed open and he advanced on Danny, approaching so that there was no way for him to skirt around him. "But no. You hide a thermos under your bed and make it just as apparent you won't even consider my proposal. What kind of message do you think that sent me?"

Danny had been backing up as he approached, still defiant but all too aware of the power Phantom had over him. In no time at all, the ghost cornered the human and pinned him against the bathroom wall, trying to be firm with him while also being mindful of his fresh brand.

"Let me make this as clear as I possibly can," Phantom hissed, interrupting a few pointless protests from his human. "Imagine not eating for two whole days ... Would you be willing to let anything stand between you and relief from that clawing hunger?" Blazing green met blue, and Phantom glared into his counterpart's eyes. "One more day and I would have been unable to protect the city. I'm the one with our powers now and that means all the responsibility you once claimed to have now falls solely to me."

He let this hang in the air a moment, feeling Danny go slack against his hold. Since they had separated he had tried to avoid reminding Danny that the city didn't depend on him anymore, that he no longer had the strength to protect it. At least not on his own.

Danny averted his gaze, and Phantom's anger gave way to pity. One of his hands moved from the human's pinned wrists and cupped his cheek. The tone of his ghostly voice softened. "I'll admit it, I cheated you, took from you without asking and forced you into a situation you may not have been prepared for." A finger slid down his cheek and cupped his chin, forcing Danny to look at him. "If it's any consolation, I feel sorry for what I did… but only because it displeases you, not because I regret my decision."

Danny jerked his head away and Phantom released him, feeling a second bout of anger coming on. The other teen looked a little calmer now though, like he was seething just under the surface instead of boiling over.

"So you sacrificed one to save the rest." Danny pressed his back flush against the wall, preferring even an extra inch of separation from his ghost half. "How noble." A number of emotions bubbled up to the surface before he tightened his fists and focused on the anger. "Or you sacrificed one to end your own suffering. Wonderful. Glad to be of service."

Phantom felt the poison in those words, but they were also true this time so he had nothing left to argue. He simply stared at the human, unsure of what else there was to stay, and Danny, seeing that no just faction was coming, placed his hands on Phantom's bare chest and pushed him away as best he could. "If you don't mind, I have to get ready for school. Getting seduced by a demon doesn't qualify as an excused absence, no matter how sore you are."

Phantom bit his tongue. There were many things that he wanted to do more then let Danny go to school, but at the same time he sensed a little time apart might be called for. He stepped back, allowing Danny to walk passed him. The human took the chance, but as he went Phantom he opened a wing, letting his feathers brush against his naked chest side as he passed.

"I never claimed to be a selfless hero…" Phantom murmured before following his counterpart back to his room, turning himself invisible until the bedroom door closed behind them.

Once they were in the room, the human did everything in his power to ignore the ghost, pacing across the room as he collected the stuff he needed for class. Phantom's eyes followed his every movement, the ghost perching himself on the edge of Danny's bed so he could watch.

But by the time Danny had gotten his pants on Phantom was restless, good arguments he had forgotten to bring up on the tip of his tongue. He waited until the human's back was turned and then spoke up. "You can bitch if you like, Danny, but for better or worse you're mine for life. Holding grudges will only make it harder on yourself."

Danny's shoulders hunched. Although he didn't turn around, the speed at which he was shoving books into his backpack became decidedly more forceful and haphazard.

A long uncomfortable silence followed and Phantom shifted on his perch, deciding he better change tactics. He slipped onto the floor and walked over to Danny, placing a hand on his shoulder and feeling the teen tense under his palm.

"If you want the bright side, being bound to you compels me to act always in your best interest," he explained tone dropping to a soothing purr. "You could ask anything of me and I would do it for you."

Danny crossed his arms over his chest, hiding the mark, and glared fixedly at his dresser. "Then leave. Just…leave me alone."

Phantom sensed the crack in Danny's voice, and if he wasn't a demon, his heart might have broke a little bit just then. Without a word he slipped passed his counterpart and opened the dresser, pulling out a shirt. Ignoring the glare from the other boy, he held it up and, with a little effort, managed to convince Danny to let him help put it on.

He gave the hem a final tug and reached forward, enfolding Danny in his arms and drawing his wings forward to repeat how he had held him the night before. "I'll make this up to you somehow, I promise…"

* * *

later that day...

* * *

Dash Baxter cast an unkind eye over the struggling Danny Fenton, watching as he was dragged across the football field to the rest of the football team, sandwiched between two of Dash's fellow quarterbacks. Danny kicked and struggled, but the two muscled boys holding him didn't even seem to notice his efforts.

A few moments later they had joined the rest of the group, and the whole team crowded around Dash and Danny. The two boys holding him threw the unpopular boy to the grass, and the more vocal of the two addressed Dash, "All right, we fetched the loser for you. Now what do you want us to see?"

Dash gave them all a grave look, like he was about to show them something horrible, which in his mind, it was. He crossed his arms over his broad chest and said to the group as a whole, "Here's what you need to know. Earlier today in gym class, I noticed Fentina here hiding something." Dash nudged Danny with the tip of his shoe until the boy sat up, blue eyes glaring at the bully. "When I forced him to show me I almost didn't believe it, so that's why I brought him here. The loser's little secret needs to be seen. I would never have thought he had the balls if I hadn't seen in with my own eyes..."

Dash turned to Danny again and grabbed him by the arm, forcing him to his feet. "So what will it be fen-toad? Are you going to fess up and show everyone what a sick bastard fen-tard turned out to be? Or do I have to rip your shirt off?"

"Neither, blockhead!" Danny tugged against Dash's hold, scowling despite the fear mounting. "There's nothing to see!" He kicked, twisted and punched, but couldn't escape the muscular boy's grasp. He couldn't help thinking how useful ghost powers would have been right about now. "Let go of me!"

"Fine, the hard way it is." Dash snapped, gesturing for the two boys that had forced Danny to come with them to hold him back again. Two pairs of hands grabbed Danny wrenching his arms over his head as Dash grasped his shirt. Blue eyes shut tightly, Danny's body physically tensing at the destruction of what little good reputation he had managed to obtain in the high school social order as Dash pulled his shirt over his head with one rough tug.

A collective gasp came from the assembled team as their eyes met the fresh scar on Danny's chest. The hands holding the boy suddenly released him, and Danny fell to the grass again, managing to twist his body at the last second so he didn't land on the sensitive part of his chest.

After a moment of shocked silence the whispers began to erupt as all the young men began talking at once.

"Dude is that?"

"I think it is…"

"That's Phantom's logo, man…"

"Fuck, it's burned into his skin…"

"What kind of person would do that to himself?"

Danny covered his scar behind his arms and glared at the jocks' feet. He wanted to defend himself, to yell how he _didn't_ do it to himself, he _didn't_ want it, but he couldn't. At least not without admitting what he had allowed to happen last night, and even worse who with. Shame twisted his gut, making it impossible to say anything. Not like he had anything he could say anyway…

Swallowing the bile in his throat, Danny finally raised his eyes high enough to land on his shirt in Dash's hand. He reached for it, but the quarterback saw him and lifted it over Danny's head. The boy frowned. "Damn it, Dash!" He stretched one arm over his head to reach for it, the other arm blocking the scar, only for the bully to smile coldly and toss it to one of his teammates. "Just…just Give it back!"

"What's wrong, fen-turd? If you would do that to yourself, why don't you want to show it off?" Dash sneered. "I think everyone in the school needs to know what a creepy stalker you are…"

The boys behind Dash shared concerned looks.

"Wait, I think we need to think about this for a second," Kwan insisted, reaching over and snatching the shirt from the boy next to him. "We can't have Fenton ruining Phantom's image like this…or even worse, Fenton could make Phantom hate our whole school."

"You have a better idea, Kwan?" another jock asked. "We need to let everyone know what kind of…freak we have in our halls."

Danny flinched, ducking his head further, wishing he could just phase through the ground.

"I say we give him a beating," Dash decided, smacking his fist into his palm. "Teach him and everyone else how we won't allow Phantom's image to be dragged through the mud like this."

The other boys considered this and it seemed to go over well, as the offer of violence almost always did. "Phantom would appreciate us defending his rep like that," Kwan agreed. "It'd show how we're not all freaky geeks."

"It's settled then." Dash stooped down and fisted Danny's black hair, ignoring the small boy's pained gasp as he wrenched him to his feet.

Danny instinctively grabbed the jock's wrists, revealing his scarred chest to the angry football team. He pinched his eyes shut, bracing himself. Usually only Dash wailed on him, but with the whole team pitching in… well to put it mildly, this was going to hurt… and he didn't have ghost powers to heal the wounds afterwards...shit.

Dash pulled back his hand, getting ready to smash his fist right into Fenton's face. Danny felt his heart racing in his chest, full of panic and fear but with no chance to get away. Without warning, a flash of green light erupted between the two of them, disorientating Dash enough to make him miss Danny and his face by a good foot and a half.

All eyes fell to the marking on Danny's chest as it glowed brightly, including Danny who had to crane his neck awkwardly to see it. The skin tingled faintly, a sort of tugging sensation, like some part of him was reaching for something. The jocks looked on with widened eyes, unsure of what they were meant to make of it.

This of course meant they were completely unprepared when a mass of anger and feathers dropped out of the sky and landed in the middle of their little huddle. Quick as lighting, Dash's wrist was hit hard enough to force him into releasing Danny. Two more cries of surprise and the other two jocks let go as well.

Unprepared for his sudden freedom, Danny overbalanced and fell. He braced himself for the hard ground but instead found himself clutched tightly in a pair of strong arms. Feathers flashed, and two of the football players were brushed aside by the powerful gust, leaving the intruder to escape the circle, still clutching Danny close to his chest.

Once he was a good few feet away, the winged creature placed Danny on the grass and then straightened, standing over him protectively. With a flick of his fingers, he summoned his spiked lance in a flash of green. The ghost took it in both hands, green eyes locked on the jocks, daring them to make a move.

Underneath him, the green glow on Danny's chest continued to shine brightly, a perfect match for the blaze lighting Phantom's brighter than usual eyes. Danny gaped at him, as thrown by his appearance as the jocks. "Phantom!" he exclaimed before he caught himself. In a quieter hiss, "What the hell are you doing here?"

The ghost shot his lover a sideways glance "Protecting what's mine," he growled, speaking with much more volume than Danny had so that everyone could hear him. He scanned the jocks quickly, frowning when he realized they were no match for him.

When he had received the distress call, he had been expecting ghosts of some sort, not some pathetic humans. Now he was forced to contend with instincts pushing him to get revenge, and the knowledge that attacking them would mean a bloodbath, something Danny would never stand for… Still, there was nothing preventing him from making threats.

"Back, humans!" he hissed, pointing his weapon at them. "I will not allow you to lay a hand on my bond-mate. Whatever your quarrels are with him, you may address them to me." Phantom twirled his weapon over his head dramatically and sunk it into the ground, the sharp end cutting the dirt like butter.

The jocks continued starring however, no one sure how to respond. Phantom resisted the urge to roll his eyes and tried the direct approach. "You!" he demanded, pointing at Dash. "You are the ringleader, are you not? I demand to know why you were threatening Danny."

Dash jumped upon being addressed, stumbling forwards a few steps after being prodded by his teammates. "I-I, uh…" His lips twitched, wanting to smile. He was talking to Danny Phantom! But the moment was being spoiled somewhat by the hero's angry glare… "Th-that is, we were just…um…" He grabbed Kwan's arm and pulled him forward. "Tell him, Kwan!"

Kwan staggered forward, and Phantom's blazing eyes landed on him. He froze. "Uh… because he's a nerd?"

Phantom sighed deeply, deciding he didn't have a hope of getting a real explanation out of this crew. Maybe it was time to try an even more direct approach. Stake his claim in fifteen foot high flaming letters so no one would cross him again. "Let me make this perfectly clear. You see this?" Phantom pointed to Danny with the tip of his lance. "This is mine, and I prefer him uninjured. So if you know what's good for everyone, you will back the. Fuck. Off."

The teenager who was still lying underneath him, trying his best to blend in with the grass, blinked at the sudden statement, his mind taking a moment to grasp the fact that Phantom had just laid claim to him in front of the entire football team. Oh man, this was bad. If he thought he was their favorite target before just wait till the whole school found out he was Phantom's…

The jocks seemed just as shocked as Danny, looking between each other, trying to see if they had all heard the same thing.

"You don't think he means…"

"That Fenton is…"

"No…no way…"

Dash however seemed to have completely missed the boat. "Oh, y-yeah, sorry, man! I didn't realize you were into wailing on nerds too. Fenton is all yours! I suppose it's only fair since he's your creepy stalker."

Phantom huffed in exasperation, his grip tightening on his lance. At his feet, Danny noticed the hero's presence attracting the attention of other students who were wandering around the open field on their lunch break. A small crowd was forming around them, but holding at a respectable distance, about the same length as Phantom's lance.

Phantom pointed the sharp end of said lance at Dash again, murder in his eyes. "I will have you know that Danny is not a stalker. Our relationship is mutual, and once more I do not intend to 'wail' on him…unless that is some sort of euphemism for sex."

Horrified by the whole situation, Danny covered his hands over his face. He couldn't stand to see Dash's—and the other surrounding students'—shocked expressions. Hearing, however, he couldn't turn off, and he could clearly hear his peers' gasps and incredulous whispers, coming from every direction.

"Look at his neck…those look like hickeys!"

"No way, they couldn't have..."

"Who would want to go that far with _Fenton_?"

"Eww! Mental images! Mental images!"

"Whoa, time out here!" Dash shouted, his hands forming the T symbol. "You," he pointed at Phantom and then swung his finger over to Fenton, "are dating _him_? That…that's not possible!"

Phantom's growled in anger and his wings flared out. A girl in the crowd let out a little yelp of surprise as she jumped back to avoid getting brushed aside. The whispers among the students doubled, caught between the strangeness of Phantom's appearance and this new insanely juicy gossip.

"And exactly why not?" Phantom asked Dash, displeased that the jock thought he knew more than he did about what he could and could not do. "Danny is an exceptional mate. Healthy, shapely, energetic, and very attractive. His place in any human social structure is of no concern to me."

Danny's face grew hot enough to warm his palms. He chocked a moment, unable to believe Phantom had just said all that in front of everyone. He was practically calling him a prized…Danny blanched at that thought and wildly shook his head. No, Phantom didn't see him like that. Sure he'd claimed him as his and…branded him with his symbol…but…

Despite Phantom's bizarre presence commanding most of the attention, Danny still felt eyes on him, staring at all the marks the demon had left on his skin. He violently shuddered, his skin crawling. He folded his arms together and bent over his middle, wishing the ground would swallow him…or that Phantom would take pity and turn him invisible.

"_Fenton_?" Dash asked, voice high and incredulous. "That scrawny little pipsqueak?"

"That scrawny little pipsqueak is my bond-mate," Phantom said through gritted teeth, taking a menacing step towards the jock, "and I will remind you that since he is mine, any insult directed at him is also an insult to me."Dash paled under Phantom's threatening glare, finally struck speechless. Phantom strode forward, keeping one eye over his shoulder to make sure no one in the crowd harassed Danny while he was not standing over him. "Now give me back Danny's shirt," he said, voice laced with hidden threats.

Dash practically threw the garment at Phantom in his rush to part with it, and the ghost snatched it before it hit the ground. A second later, Phantom knelt beside his doubled-over counterpart, handing him the t-shirt with one hand, the other reaching out to stroke his cheek.

Danny accepted his shirt but shied away from Phantom's touch so that the ghost's fingers only managed to slide across his skin. Hurriedly, he slipped the t-shirt over his head and then shoved it the rest of the way down. It could have been backwards for all he cared; he just wanted the evidence of his and Phantom's night together hidden.

Danny stood abruptly, and since Phantom still knelt on the grass, almost all eyes fell on him. The blue-eyed boy blushed but clenched his jaw and fought the desire to stare at his feet. "If you've got something to say," he growled, glaring at the crowed but not meeting any eyes, "then say it!"

A hushed silence fell over the gathered teens, everyone thinking the same thing but hoping someone else would have the nerve to say it. Danny cast his eyes from one side of the circle of people to the other, and after a long minute of silence he lowered his glare and started walking, Phantom getting to his feet and following on his heels.

The crowd parted to let them through, but as Danny passed the whispers started up again in full force, pressing in from all sides, some loud enough to hear clearly.

"—Phantom's bitch."

"He probably only puts out because he's famous."

"Should have guessed Fenton would swing that way...no way he could have ever landed a chick."

"How could he let Phantom do that to him?"

"He must be threatening Phantom with his parents' stuff."

"-Or blackmailing him!"

Through the thread of their mental connection, Phantom could feel Danny's misery building as his defiant walk sped into a run, and it was making him sick to his stomach. He chased after his partner, using his wings to gain the advantage and managing to land in Danny's path. His opened his arms and pulled the human close, arms wrapping around him tightly. "Danny, please calm down."

The words landed on deaf ears, however. Danny struggled against the ghost's hold until he managed to shove him away. "Stop touching me!" He glanced over his shoulder, where his peers had started following after their 'hero', and his gut twisted with so much force it felt like he was about to throw up.

Phantom reached for him again, but Danny slapped his hands away and stepped backwards, shaking his head. "J-just go away!" The ghost remained where he was, staring at him with a conflicted expression, and Danny groaned, all his frustration going into the sound. He shoved passed Phantom and sprinted for the school, his anger and hurt purposefully assaulting whatever link Phantom claimed they shared, the beginning of tears stinging his eyes.

Phantom crossed an arm over his chest, something inside him aching terribly as he watched Danny go. He longed to pursue his mate, but somehow he knew that would only make matters worse. Phantom felt guilty, but he wasn't sure what for. Hadn't he protected Danny just like he had promised? He had saved him from a beating and stood up for him... Yet he still ran away in tears.

Phantom looked back at the teenagers, his green eyes flashing with anger. They must have been the ones who upset Danny, the ones who insulted and demeaned him. The reason his daily life was so miserable…Especially the blond one. Phantom hated him.

Still it was not Danny's will to kill them, so it was not Phantom's place to do so. Justice for them would come in due time when they realized and regretted the anguish their words caused…but for now there was nothing to do but walk away.

-Or in Phantom's case, fly. He pushed off from the ground and turned invisible, vanishing back into the sky, much to the disappointment of the onlookers hoping for autographs.

* * *

Now that we've had our smut, let the Danny angst begin!

Sorry for the long wait and short chapter. Aside from us being too busy to RP, we had a difficult time maneuvering all the characters. Eventually we decided to just shorten the chapters to our usual length, which is around 5,000 words. We would have done it before, but there was no good place to split the previous chapters.

The cover image was drawn by Polterrgeist—it looks amazing, doesn't it? Holy shit. Talk about inspiration! In case you can't read the words, Phantom's saying, "You can't hide forever, Danny…" Yesssss…Now I wish we had actually done a scene where Danny hides…hmm…

If you want to see the whole pic: polterrgeist . deviantart art/YIP-YIP-311957153


	4. Social life Postmortem

**********Co-write between Tangerine Catnip and Dream Trance**

* * *

******Chapter 4: **Social life Post-mortem

Amethyst eyes glanced at the hunched form in the corner and then rose to meet the teal ones of her other best friend, the two of them exchanging worried looks. Danny had walked right by them at the beginning of class and had been sulking at the back of the room alone ever since, leaving his friends in the dark about what had happened to him beyond what they could pick up from the vicious rumors spreading around the school like a plague.

Sam for one wouldn't believe a word of it until she heard it from the horse's mouth, but since the horse wasn't talking to them at the moment and Mr. Lancer's lecture was even more boring than usual, all she had to think about were the rumors, and the more she thought about the rumors, the more true they seemed.

Glancing between Tucker and Danny again, Sam pulled her notebook from her fluffy spider backpack and ripped a page out. Glancing up to make sure Lancer's back was turned, she scribbled out a note.

'_Danny, are you okay? What happened to you at lunch?' _

She flashed it to Tucker briefly so he knew what she was doing before she crumpled it up and threw it at Danny. The small paper ball landed on his desk and he finally looked up from his staring match with the floor. Danny stared at the wadded note a moment before he raised his eyes and saw his friends staring at him in concern. He tore his gaze away, his fingers clenching around his jeans.

Tucker and Sam weren't the only ones looking at him. Other students glanced his way, only to turn away or act as if they hadn't been staring when he lifted his gaze to meet there's.

"You don't think it's true do you? That Fenton actually…?"

"Why not? That's kid's a freak. He'd do anything for attention."

None of them could meet his eyes, but Danny caught traces of disbelief and disgust on their faces before they noticed he was looking.

If only as a way to distract himself from those glaring eyes, Danny unfolded the piece of paper and scanned the jotted message, not reading it so much as confirming the words he knew would be there. It was a dim hope he knew, but that Sam mentioned lunch proved they had heard the rumors.

Swallowing, the boy ducked his head further, allowing his black hair to shield his eyes. He crumbled the note into a ball and held it in his fist, unanswered. Any kind of response would allow Sam an opening she could use to get him talking, and Danny wasn't ready for them to know. To know what he had done, what Phantom had done, what he had _allowed_ to happen…

"Did you hear about how that loser burned Danny Phantom's symbol onto his own chest?"

"Did you hear? Fenton spread his legs for the ghost boy."

"That's just gross, man."

Breath caught in Danny's throat, like a sob he refused to let escape.

Sam frowned, shooting a glare at some of the louder students, but even her scariest Goth glower couldn't stop them from talking. Dash was sitting somewhere in the middle of the class talking to Kwan, not minding his volume since his football star status meant he never got called out for talking in class.

"—Phantom was frickin' scary man. I've never seen him like that before. I hate to admit it, but he actually sounded serious about Fen-toad."

"No he's not!" Paulina shouted even though she was sitting at the desk in front of him, making everyone in the room turn to look at her. "My Phantom is not gay, and even if he was he would never settle for that loser! It's simply not true!"

Another cheerleader, a bitter rival of Paulina's since she beat her in the Little Miss Sparkle beauty pageant, scoffed at this placing her hand on her hips. "Oh wake up, Paulina. He claimed Fenton in front of like half the school. Looks like you're just not his type."

The girl with flawless skin gasped, but was cut off by Valarie who had been stewing in her desk since the period started, fingers itching for her ecto blaster. "Don't be stupid," she hissed, "ghosts are just pure evil. They don't feel love or lust. I don't know what the filthy ghost is playing at, but when I-" She halted abruptly, suddenly remembering her secret identity. Cursing under her breath, she turned back to her notes, silently planning Phantom's downfall.

"I don't know, guys, did you see those marks? Sure as hell looked like lust to me."

Without warning Sam slammed her hands on her desk, having reached the end of her patience long ago. She stood so fast it sent her chair flying back, the clatter as it hit the floor silencing the classroom.

"**Will all of you just shut up!" **

The quiet was almost as oppressive as the whispers. Attention settled on Sam for only a second, the students calculating her into their equations. Danny hunched further into himself and turned his face away from his friend. She had acknowledged them. The stares, the rumors, the whispers. Instead of lurking in the room like a giant ghost elephant, now the speculations would be focused. Aimed.

Already Danny could feel the eyes that fell on him taking on a razor edge, now openly drilling into him. They wanted answers, and he felt his peers studying every inch of him. His tousled hair, his clenched fists, the awkward way he sat, the bruise poking above his collar…there was nothing overt about their glances now. They were practically daring him to look at them. To acknowledge their awareness as Sam had.

"Miss Manson!" Lancer shouted as he slammed his book shut. The students jumped, attention brought back to the only adult in the room. "I realize poetry is not your age group's favorite subject, but that is no excuse for disrupting my lecture! Pick up your seat and pay attention or, parents or no parents, I'll issue you a detention."

Sam bristled, still too riled to think straight. All the stewing emotion of confusion, dread, and concern finally had an outlet and at this point she didn't care if she had to stay after school for the rest of her high school career. "Oh no, Mister Lancer! I'm not sitting quietly by while they spread lies about my best friend!" She gestured in the direction of the popular kids, not caring about the dirty looks it earned her.

Mr. Lancer sighed in world-weary manner and turned to Dash and Paulina. "Is this true, Mr. Baxter?"

The jock sat up straight in his seat, putting on his innocent face. "They're not lies, Mr. Lancer! I saw it with my own eyes—the whole football team did!"

Paulina huffed indignantly. "You obviously misheard! You football players are never very bright. You probably just didn't understand what someone who has class like Phantom was saying!"

Dash glared at her and opened his mouth but was swiftly drowned out as every other member of the class voiced their opinion on the matter.

Over in his corner, Danny's head hit the plastic-coated plywood of his desk. He couldn't have even one class where he wasn't the center of negative attention. At this rate the whole town would know by the end of the day. He wouldn't be able to show his face anywhere ever again without being labeled as Phantom's bitch.

Meanwhile Mr. Lancer was standing in shocked silence at the chaos that had suddenly erupted in his classroom. In an effort to regain control he slammed his book down on his desk, making everyone turn to look at him. "_Great Expectations, _people! One at a time! What are these rumors?"

"Fenton and Phantom are dating!"

"No they're not! They just had sex!"

"He has a scar of Phantom's logo on his chest!"

"He burned it into his skin!"

"Phantom gave it to him!"

"It glows like a lightbulb!"

"Enough!" Lancer barked. He glared at his agitated students, unable to believe their wild imaginations—they certainly never exercised this level of creativity in their homework assignments. Figures it would take something so scandalous to get them motivated. His eyes caught on the shy boy hunched in the corner, in all appearances trying to will himself invisible. Lancer smiled.

The best way to end a rumor—aside from allowing it to run its course; rumors were often impossible to stop—was to attack it at its source. "Mr. Fenton!"

The boy practically jumped, blue eyes snapping to twice their normal size. "S-sir?" he croaked, voice oddly hoarse. Students twisted in their seats and eyed Danny with varying levels of curiosity and disgust.

Alarmed to see some of those expressions holding barely concealed fury, Lancer nevertheless pushed on. He needed to end this, and quickly. The teacher softened his voice, asking, "Are these rumors true?"

Fenton flinched and sunk further in his seat. The gazes of his peers' sharpened, some teenagers in the front row leaning forward to catch his answer. "Um…I, uh…" Danny's eyes darted around the room. "I…" His gaze lingered on his friends' faces a moment—noting Sam's anger, Tucker's growing dismay—and he felt a cold dread seize his chest. His gaze snapped to Lancer's again. "No. They're...they're not true."

"Oh yeah?" Dash demanded, pointing to Danny's neck and the still visible bite-marks. "Then how did you get those bruises?"

"That- that's none of your business!" Danny stuttered, covering his neck with his hand.

"Bruises?" Danny felt Sam's eyes lock on him from two desks away. She stood up, and his heart skipped a beat. _Please Sam, no… not here, not in front of everyone._ He wanted to say something, anything, to make her back off, but shying away from his best friend would only add to the rumors.

When she was within arm's reach she held out a hand, and Danny's met her gaze, silently pleading with her not to go berserk and set off the whole class. Her fingers curled around the collar of his shirt.

_Please, Sam, don't freak out, don't freak out...Just act like you don't see them and walk away... _

Sam's shocked gasp as she saw the bite marks on his neck quickly dashed his hopes. Sam knew better than anyone else what Phantom was. If it wasn't for the fact that the rumors sounded so outlandish, she would have put two and two together sooner. She ran her thumb over the puncture wounds from two sharp fangs, exactly like Phantom's, and Danny pulled away from her. Unwanted images filled her mind and Sam snapped like a piano wire pulled too tight.

"You gave in to him," she realized, her voice almost a whisper. Then the anger kicked in and her purple eyes narrowed to thin slits, her volume hitting the roof along with her temper. "I warned you about him, Danny! I told you what he was capable of! Why didn't you let us help you? You said you could handle it!"

Danny flinched, her words cutting deep into his own accusations. He should have been more prepared…hidden more weapons… "I…I thought I could…" He shook his head forcefully and curled his hands into even tighter fists. "Nothing happened, Sam!" He couldn't look her in the eye as he said it, so he lowered his gaze to the floor and glared at the tiles. "I…H-he just…"

"Just what, Danny?" Sam said, still looming over him. "The scar, the rumors…" Her breath stuttered slightly. "How far did you let him take it?"

"I didn't _let_ him do anything!" Danny protested, an almost desperate edge to his voice.

"He forced you?" a girl asked, sounding horrified and yet fascinated at the same time. "Phantom raped you?"

His eyes widened. "No!"

"Then you _did _want to have sex with him," a jock said as his nose wrinkled.

Danny shook his head, but could feel himself slinking further beneath his desk. "No! I—"

Paulina pounded her tiny fist on her desk. "He's lying! He's just spreading these terrible rumors to get my attention!"

"I didn't—"

"Why would he want _your_ attention, Paulina?" the cheerleader form earlier asked, a smile twisting her lips. "He has _Phantom_ now! Ha! He stole your boyfriend right out from under you!"

Danny opened his mouth to protest, but Paulina jumped to her feat and pointed a sharp fingernail at the girl. "Phantom's still mine, and don't you forget it!"

"But Phantom wants Fenton!" she protested. "I was there too, you should have seen it! He was calling Danny his mate and everything!"

"Stop lying! All of you!" Paulina screamed covering her ears with her perfectly manicured hands and stomping her feet repeatedly. "Stop, stop, stop!"

"Just accept it, Paulina! Phantom and Fenton are dating!"

"They're not dating!" she yelled. "If anything Danny's just his bitch! He loves me, not him!" Danny winced, and unfortunately Paulina caught it. A triumphant smile spread across her pretty face, her eyes sparkling. "I'm right, aren't I? He doesn't love you, he's just using you as a—"

"No!" Danny yelled, but her unfinished sentence poisoned his heart and echoed his own thoughts. He shook his head, but her words lingered, and he sunk further down. He clenched his eyes shut and clamped his hands over his ears, wanting desperately to disappear.

Demands and accusations continued to bombard him from all sides. He could hear Sam yelling back at Paulina and the others, trying to defend him, having put aside her own questions to help her friend. Tucker's voice joined hers, and he felt his other friend stand beside him, as if shielding him from view.

Lancer shouted something about minors and rape before he started demanding they all settle down.

"Stop," Danny whimpered, but of course no one heard. He clenched his jaw and tightened the pressure on his ears. Try as he might, though, he couldn't drown them out. Anger and desperation started to build, catalyzed by the fear that they knew. They all _knew_.

"—spread his legs—"

"—just wants attention—"

"I can't believe he would do something like that!"

"I bet he begged for it! What a freak!"

Danny's chair clattered to the floor with a bang as he jumped to his feet. "SHUT UP!" The room instantly quieted, all eyes landing on the boy. "All of you!" he shouted. "It's none of your god damned business what Phantom and I did together! It happened, it's over, now just drop it!"

No one responded to his outburst. They just continued staring at him, and it took Danny a moment to realize it wasn't _him_ they were staring at but his chest. He followed their gazes and felt his heart freeze when he saw the DP symbol glowing through his white shirt like a green neon glow stick.

"No!" He clawed at his hair and bent at the middle. "No, no, no, no, stop! Shh, shh, stop!"He wrapped his arms around himself and shut his eyes tightly, trying desperately to use what little sense he had of the invisible bond to try and abort the distress call, but it was already too late. "Shit, fuck, damn it, fuck, fuck, fuck…"

Over by his desk, Mr. Lancer suddenly decided to use the moment of calm to regain control over his class. "Everyone, please return to your seats. Mr. Fenton and I will discuss this after class and—"

A second flash of light as invisibility was cast off, and the crouched form of some kind of winged creature appeared out of thin air for the second time that day, alighting on the desk and glaring down at Danny. His wings spread and almost knocked Sam over the head with the plumage. The Goth girl recovered quickly, only to point up at the ghost and yell, "You! I should have known we couldn't trust you!"

The creature, which Lancer now recognized as the famed hero of Amity Park, Danny Phantom, ignored the girl, preferring to address the quivering teen in front of him. "You called?"

"No!" Danny yelled. "Go away!" He glanced at his fellow students in panic. They were still too stunned to react, but that couldn't last for long, and he quickly turned back to Phantom, making shooing motions with his hands. "Just get out of here before you make things worse!"

"No," Phantom replied flatly, "I will not leave, nor will I allow you sit here and be harassed by these humans." He gestured across the room, but didn't take his eyes off Danny.

To his left Sam sprang into action, cutting of Danny's next response and stepping between the two with her arms spread out like she was standing between a sapling and a bulldozer. "He was doing just fine without your help!"

Phantom glared at Sam, fighting back the urge to brush her aside. She was just lucky she was part of Danny's kin or he wouldn't have thought twice about it. He leaned over her, only to be interrupted by a thin Latina in a pink belly shirt who had suddenly rushed forward and was now clinging to his leg. "Phantom! Tell them it's not true, you're not in love with the unpopular boy!"

The demon looked down at her in shock before he jerked his leg away from her. "Unhand me, woman!"

Paulina fell back a step, gasping, but Phantom and the two losers had already gone back to glaring at each other. She stomped her foot, but still the ghost boy kept his gaze focused on Danny.

"They're only harassing me because of you!" Danny shouted, stepping out from behind Sam. "You just had to swoop in and make things ten times worse, didn't you? You must have this, like, demon instinct that says 'Oh hey, look! Fenton's life isn't shitty enough, I must go down there and make him even more miserable!'"

"You can't yell at Phantom like that!" one kid yelled, only to be shushed by Dash. "Dude, shut up! Don't bring him over here!"

Phantom's green eyes widened, Danny was blaming him for this? Not the ones who threw insults like stones and spoke lies as if they were truth? Phantom shot a glare around the room. How dare they turn Danny against him. What power did they hold that their opinions were more important to Danny than he was?

Phantom locked back on Danny, straightened his shoulders and clenched his fists. "My presence has only caused misery because you allow these…troglodytes to manipulate you!"

Sam butted in with an indigent "Hey!" and this time Phantom really did push her aside, knocking her onto her backside. Danny attempted to go after her, but Phantom jumped off the desk and blocked his path with a swiftly extended wing.

"You spend all your time groping for their attention and praise when nothing you do will ever be good enough." He advanced on Danny fast, forcing the teen to take a few steps back. "It's time you wake up and realize they are not worth your time and spend all that energy on those who are."

Danny's shoulder blades hit the hard concrete of the classroom wall. He swallowed and glared at Phantom. "You mean spend it on you?" he muttered.

He received a slightly unsettling smile from his ghost half. "Precisely."

Danny's eyes flicked to Sam who had gotten back to her feet, looking a little startled but no worse for wear. Her eyes met Danny's, and the ex-ghost boy felt his stomach tighten. "W-Well maybe I don't want to be with you. Did you ever consider that?" Danny snapped, bracing for the response.

A low growl filled the room, and Phantoms eyes flashed a furious green. "It doesn't matter what you want. You are mine, Fenton!" He pulled back a fist and slammed it into the wall just to the left of Danny's head. "I do not grovel to humans and neither should you!"

Danny flinched, powdered concrete falling on his shoulder like sand. He didn't need to look to know Phantom had damaged the wall, likely having punched a hole through the solid stone if the students' startled gasps were anything to go by. The teenagers whispered amongst themselves and backed away from the angry ghost.

Danny would have loved to do the same, but unfortunately, he had a wounded ego to mend. Not to mention miles of frustration and hurt to channel into anger. He squared his shoulders and glared just as fiercely at Phantom, refusing to allow the demon to intimidate him. Hell, a little physical pain would be a welcome respite from all the emotional turmoil.

"_Grapes of Wrath_!" Mr. Lancer shouted. Danny didn't dare remove his gaze from Phantom's blazing eyes, but he heard the overweight teacher marching towards them. "Damaging school property is a heinous offence, Mr. Phantom! I must ask you to step away from Mr. Fenton and vacate the premises at once or I'll be forced to alert the proper authorities."

Phantom's eyes narrowed, his fist beginning to glow with green energy as he pulled it from the hole he had punched in the wall. "I will not be threated…" he hissed, his voice echoing in a manner that could only be described as demonic.

He pulled away from Danny. His anger and frustration mixed with similar feelings he had been receiving from Danny all day, creating a feedback loop that twisted inside Phantom's mind, transforming into pure hatred. He turned to Lancer, sounds slipping from his lips but in words that didn't make any sense. Only Danny, carrying a piece of the demon inside him, understood it for the death threat it was. Phantom tensed, the last of his sense slipping as he prepared to kick off from the wall and launch himself at Lancer, his intent unknown to all but the wide-eyed Danny.

"No!" he cried. He ducked beneath Phantom's right wing and twisted around to face the demon again, planting himself between his teacher and the ghost. He braced his hands on Phantom's bare shoulders and bit his lip when he felt how tightly Phantom's muscles were bunched beneath his hand. He was seconds away from attacking, Danny in his way or not.

"I'm fine, Phantom!" the human shouted, trying to recapture the ghost's gaze. Phantom continued to glare daggers at Lancer, like he was the sole source of their anguish. Danny growled to himself and shook Phantom's shoulders—or tried to. The ghost was too tense to allow the motion. "Look at me, Phantom! Pull yourself together and look at me, damn it!"

Phantom was vaguely aware of Danny's shouting somewhere under the seething well of emotion that practically screamed the word "kill" into his ear. He tried to brush the human aside but Danny clung to his arm, holding him back.

But there was much more than just the physical body restraining him. Had it been anyone else standing between him and his target, Mr. Lancer would be long dead. Even blinded by anger with no sense of thought or reason, Phantom was still loyal, though in that moment Danny was near the end of his influence over his demon.

Something had to give, and it would give soon.

Danny's hand's reached up and grasped Phantoms neck, pulling him closer until their foreheads bumped together. The cowering English teacher blocked from Phantoms' view, all he could see were Danny's wide blue eyes, staring back at him.

Phantom's simplified thoughts told him to hate the thing he was looking at, but now that had changed to the thing he could never hate. Some kind of switch in Phantom's head flipped, and the change from hatred to lust came with no time for Phantom to relax, or for the animalistic nature of the feeling to dissipate.

Phantom snatched Danny in his arms with all the eagerness of a five year old given a chocolate rabbit, clawing at the boy's T-shirt as he pressed their lips together with enough force to earn a startled cry from Danny.

The now painfully familiar sound of startled gasps came from the assembled students. Danny's eyes flicked up but with Phantom sucking on his lips he couldn't see anything else...feel anything else... His hands slipped from those strong shoulders and pushed against Phantom's chest, muffed cries of protest getting lost in the ghost's mouth.

Phantom's hold tightened, refusing to let go, and Danny pinched his eyes shut. His friends, his peers, his teacher…it was bad enough they knew, now they were actually _watching_ it happen. He was kissing the damn Ghost Boy, making out with his stupid ghost-demon-thing right in front all of them. As soon as they separated, the class would erupt. If he thought it was bad before, he was sure it'd be ten times worse now.

Sam and Tucker would demand answers. Lancer would lecture him. Dash would beat him up. Paulina would threaten him or throw more insults, then after all that Valerie would skin him alive for fraternizing with her worst enemy. His fingers curled into fists against Phantom's Pecs, a tortured groan sounding in his throat. Already he could hear whispers gathering and knew it was only a matter of time.

Desperate to escape the situation and his own thoughts, Danny lifted his chin and kissed Phantom back, almost as harshly as the demon had him. He slid his arms up Phantom's chest and wrapped them around his neck, one hand threading through the white hairs at the back of his skull. Parting his lips, he brushed his tongue along the crease of Phantom's mouth and ignored the doubt at the back of his mind screaming at him to stop before he made it worse.

A deep rumbling purr came from Phantom's throat. As far as he was concerned nothing on earth mattered besides the warm embrace of his human. He slid the tip of his tongue over Danny's, surprised as Danny responded by opening his lips and chasing the ghost's into his mouth. Phantom only skipped one beat though, and with a tilt of his head he engaged Danny's tongue, letting him lead as lips interlocked, teeth bumping a little in their rush to lose themselves in the other.

Phantom's hands moved down Danny's back, his hands sliding into the back pockets of his jeans. He massaged his firm backside slowly though the fabric, careful not to rub too hard since he knew it had to still be a little sore. Danny frame pressed into him the whole time, fitting perfectly into his arms.

Phantom's wing twitched, as the urge to take Danny somewhere more comfortable crossed his still frazzled mind. He could feel the gazes and the whispers and wanted to be away from them, find a nice place to roost with his mate, safe from predators and prying eyes.

Phantom jerked his head up, a soft smacking sound reaching his ears as their lips parted. Danny leaned forward on tiptoe, trying to reclaim him, to hold off the inevitable for at least a few more seconds, but Phantom was already eyeing escape routes.

The ghost's core thrummed against Danny's chest, tickling the edge of his scar as the wounded area tingled with the same energy that radiated off of the demon. Danny closed his eyes, allowing its gentle vibration to calm his own frazzled nerves. A book dropped on the floor, and Danny's eyes flew open. He glanced over his shoulder at his class members, dread weighing him down once more.

As far as predictions went, he wasn't far off. His gaze first met Lancer's alarmed expression, noting how pale he had become and the glint beginning to harden his eyes. Behind the bald teacher, Paulina glared fiercely at Danny, her face almost completely red and her cheeks ballooned in anger. At some point, Valerie had stood up, but her ecto-gun now hung limply at her side as she gaped at her ex-boyfriend.

Tucker was much the same—minus the gun and boyfriend bits—stunned speechless with his mouth hanging open and his eyes nearly as big as his glasses. A green tinge colored his dark cheeks, and Danny flinched when he met his only male friend's gaze. Movie night would be one awkward occasion after this…

If the three of them ever had another movie night together, that is. Danny finally allowed himself to look at Sam. She had taken a half-step toward them, but now appeared frozen in place. Violet eyes that usually carried enough confidence for the both of them were wide in shock. As soon as they met Danny's, pain flashed across Sam's expression and she flinched.

A second later, emotion vanished completely from her eyes and face, her lips thinning. Her disaffected scowl felt like a solid blow to Danny's stomach. The boy winced and quickly dropped his gaze to the floor. Subconsciously, he pressed closer to Phantom, wanting out of there more than ever.

Phantom's finely tuned senses picked up on the desire from Danny, and the demon didn't want to waste a second. He folded his wings tight, too preoccupied to notice that Sam was about to speak. He was more concerned with how to make his exit.

But this was his chance to show all these gaping humans that no matter how they bickered and baulked, Danny was his. He would always be his. His hand laced into Danny's hair and helped him bury his face in his shoulder, leaving Phantom free to give his best death glare at the assembled, a powerful image of Phantom holding his human to burn into their retinas. He was tired of making his point, but he would do it for as long as it took for them to get the message.

He pulled back his lips and exposed his fangs, cutting off all further conversation, including Sam, with a snarl that sent a chill down everyone's spine. Not that anyone would recognize the harsh sound of an incubus challenging those around it to a fight on behalf of its mate.

He was met with silence, as was only to be expected. No one had the strength to take Danny from him. He was to powerful for any of them. They did not comprehend that an incubus is only separated from his mate when he is lying dead.

White wings flashed and enveloped the two in feathers, a tingling of intangibility and invisibility and they vanished, leaving the stunned students far behind.

* * *

Phantom sighed deeply, casting an eye over the empty bowls of the clock tower, passed the oversized gears and pistons to the semi-transparent clock face. His counterpart was curled up on the dusty wooden floor, his back to the large metal hands that clicked methodically as the long moments passed.

Internally Phantom kicked himself for bringing Danny here. While the interior of the clock tower had become something of a refuge for him since he could no longer stay at Fenton Works, he too easily forgot it wasn't the most comfortable place for humans. Hard brink and wooden floors didn't lend themselves well to soothing a troubled heart, but moving Danny was likely even more unwise, and at least the clock tower gave them privacy.

Phantom adjusted himself on his chosen perch of a low hanging rafter, eyeing Danny as he tried to decide what he should do next. Giving Danny time to think would be ideal, but Phantom could barely hold back his tongue as it was. He wanted to talk, to make everything better.

"Danny?"

The human jerked at the sound of his name. His fingers tightened around his arms, digging into his muscles. His isolated and gloomy surroundings hadn't done much to improve his mood, but they were preferable to dealing with the cause of it, no matter how desperate the demon sounded.

It was all Phantom's fault for being a stupid, sex-crazed demon with no understanding of how social life worked otherwise he may have been a little more concerned that he had just murdered Danny's. But nooo... Danny scoffed harshly to himself and turned his head away. A couple minutes ticked by on the clock, and still Phantom stared intensely at Danny until the human finally snapped. "What? What the hell do you want now?"

Phantom's fingers tightened on the wooden beam, stoic on the outside but scrambling for something to say on the inside. Humans were complex creatures, and he didn't need to aggravate Danny further. Green eyes closed running over what had happened only a few short hours ago, trying to think of something he could mention or comment on.

"I...I just...wanted to thank you…for not letting me kill the belligerent bald teacher. That could have been...messy."

It was true too. While Phantom still didn't care for the man, a well recorded killing at his hands would have made his life considerably harder, as well as ruined what little leeway the people of this city gave him to perform his ghost hunting duties.

Danny's eyes narrowed. "'Messy'?" he echoed in disbelief before he rolled his eyes. "Oh yes, because if you had killed an innocent human being, you may have gotten blood all over your pretty feathers. What a shame that would have been. Let's forget for a moment that he was just concerned about my welfare and is so powerless he couldn't even harm the damn Box Ghost. Let's forget how you were seconds away from ripping a defenseless old man's heart out all for the sake of…of…hell, I don't even know what you were thinking!" He threw his arms into the air to emphasize his point.

Phantom growled under his breath, "I wasn't thinking, that much is clear. I was more concerned with doing harm to the ones who were hurting my mate." Phantom glanced at Danny and suddenly felt the urge to be closer. He slid from his perch and landed on the floor adding, "If he was so concerned about your welfare, why did he allow you to be picked on and bullied until your heart screamed out in agony for me?"

Danny scowled. "Because this isn't something you can just threaten, Phantom. No matter how often you point your fancy stick in their faces, the kids at school are going to call me a freak and ridicule me behind my back for the rest of my life."

The ghost's shoulders slumped and he looked away "I'm starting to realize that..." He sighed again, shaking his head to clear his doubts. "Still, they were still never worth your attention, and I am not sorry. I could burn the whole school down, but I don't think you would appreciate the effort."

"Of course I wouldn't!" Danny shouted. "But I don't doubt for a second you're stupid enough to try! You never think about the consequences to anything, Phantom! Try to put yourself in my shoes for a second. I'm not even old enough to get my driver's license yet, and I just lost my virginity to a demon! Not to a girl, not to Sam, but to _you_!" A laugh, more like a sob, and Danny's voice took on a dry tone. "Now, thanks to you, everyone knows about how I just…laid there and let the town's hero do whatever the hell he wanted to me. Like some…some…"

"Shut your mouth this second, Fenton." Phantom stepped forward, cutting off Danny before he could go on. "You are not a whore, or a slut or any of your vulgar human slurs." Strong hands closed around Danny's upper shoulders, holding him still. "The only thing that happened when I took your lauded virginity was you became mine."

Green eyes flashed, and Phantom leaned closer. "And while we're talking about least night, I wouldn't say you laid there and allowed me to take anything. If I remember correctly you were very active in the proceedings." Phantom's hand moved to trance a finger down Danny's side, smile widening when Danny flinched away from the touch.

"You enjoy my company, Fenton, I know you do. You gave in to the pleasure as much as you gave in to me." An arm slipped around Danny's back, pulling them together. "Cast your mind back. Remember how you moaned and begged for my every touch, that wave of pleasure that knocked you out cold in my arms…" Phantom's hands started glowing, green energy sinking in and making Danny's skin tingle all over.

"Phantom…" Danny growled trying his best to sound threatening. The human pushed back against him, but his ghost simply responded by using more of his power to set off a flutter of pleasure below his counterpart's waist, making Danny gasp and shiver in delight.

"Remember this feeling?"

Danny swallowed a moan, remembering this feeling far too well. The sensation of a foreign power seeping beneath his skin brought with it memories of intense pleasure, and Danny's body drank it up like a sponge, thirsting for more. A familiar warmth coalesced in Danny's groin in response, its heat spreading to his outer limbs, and the boy stumbled into Phantom's chest as his legs trembled.

Closing his eyes only heightened memories from the previous night he'd been trying to forget. How Phantom had sent a spike of pleasure arching up his spine when he entered him at just the right angle, how beautiful the ethereal ghost had appeared as the only light source in the room, how Phantom's arms looped around his waist felt too right, too similar to the way his wings had wrapped around them when he…

Danny jerked his head side to side, chasing the thoughts away. "No! Let go!" He shoved harder against Phantom's naked torso, desperate to escape the memories haunting him. "Stop using your damn powers on me and _let go_!" Using all the strength he had, Danny shoved the ghost backwards. Unfortunately, since Phantom was more grounded than him, he sent himself lurching back with enough force to crash into the support beam behind him.

Phantom stumbled backwards, hearing the crack as Danny's back hit the wooden beam and feeling his incubus senses kick into overdrive. He managed to regain his footing with a flap of his wings just in time to hear the crack echoed by a second, more ominous sounding one. Both boys looked up with wide emerald and sapphire eyes, watching as a large crack ran up the length of the rotting support beam. Splitters began to rain down. Another crack, then a deafening snap.

Danny's jaw dropped as he saw the severed chunk of wood fall, barely having the time to realize it was going to hit him before the demon grabbed his wrist and jerked the human out of harm's way, nearly wrenching his arm out of its socket in his panic. Strong arms clutched Danny to Phantom's chest, white feathers obscuring his line of sight as Phantom raised a wing to shield him from smaller pieces of wood and chipped plaster that continued to rain down on them after the beam itself had already fallen.

A few more seconds passed before it was all over. Phantom's wings lifted, but his arms held Danny just as tight with no sign of letting go. "You need to be more careful," Phantom muttered, burying his face in Danny's shoulder. "I think I just had a heart attack."

"You don't have a heart," Danny retorted automatically, shock dulling the bite in his voice. He glanced at the pile of rubble, unwillingly wondering what would have happened if Phantom had not intervened. He rested against Phantom a few seconds longer, natural instinct when you're in shock, his heart beating a mile a minute against his ribcage.

It was almost a full five minutes before his wits returned to him and his anger came flooding back. "Don't expect me to fall to my knees just because you saved me. It's your fault I'm even up here!" He struggled against the ghost's hold again until Phantom reluctantly allowed him to step out of his arms, though he kept one arm outstretched in case the flooring proved unstable as well.

"Why did you bring me here?" Danny demanded, glaring at the demon. "You've lost your mind if you think a creepy clock tower will make me more willing to drop my pants for you…" He paled at his own words and stumbled another step away from Phantom. "A-and for the record, y-you're totally cut off until further notice!"

Phantom's feathers ruffed, his annoyance at being denied the chance to hold his Danny until he fully recovered from the shock of the sudden collapse adding to his negative reaction to the news that he would not get any other contact to make up for it. He crossed his arms over his chest and scowled. "So in other words, I'm cut off until you stop whining about how much your life sucks?"

"You're cut off until I can trust you!" Danny shouted, his voice cracking. "You scarred me for life, Phantom! You took advantage of me and burned your precious mark of ownership into my skin when I was helpless! When I was too weak and overcome by the desires you forced on me to defend myself! You didn't warn me, didn't ask if you could. You just stole whatever you wanted! My virginity, my future, my freedom…" His fists clenched at his thighs, his voice dropping to a deep whisper. "I will never be that vulnerable around you again."

Phantom took a step back rage flashing in his eyes before it faded. It was difficult to be mad at someone when your invisible connection lets you know exactly how they feel. He turned away to the clock face, muttering, "A valuable lesson learned too late..."

His shot a look over his hunched shoulders, growling softly, "I was born with my instincts, Fenton, and I cannot change. Seek out pray, weaken it, and strike. It's not in my nature to ask or to consider other's feelings. Frankly, I blame whatever humanity I do possess on you. I guarantee another of my kind would not be this gentle with you."

Phantom lowered his head, white hair settling over his black horns, the sharp tips distracting Danny for a second as he realized they looked a little longer than he remembered. "It's a shame though. I think you're happiest when control is taken from you..."

Phantom sent Danny a pointed look, and the boy flinched. Denying it was useless when the one you're arguing against can access your emotions and tell when you're lying. Ever since the hero's role had been forced on him, Danny had felt obligated to take control of the situation and of himself. Letting go of that burden was like breathing fresh air for the first time.

"Not when the person I surrender control to uses it against me," he replied at last. "I trusted you once and look what happened!" He swept his arm out, indicating their surroundings and past events. Blue eyes returned to Phantom's face, locking with opposing green. "If my happiness matters at all to you then use whatever humanity you still have and stop treating me like a possession you can screw whenever you feel like."

Phantom's took in Danny's words, but didn't comprehend them. His brows furrowed, genuinely confused. Danny was his, would always be his. What did he mean by not treating him as a possession?

A mate was something you treasured, protected and cared for. In return, they submit to you…but obviously something about this sparked dislike in Danny. "I…I don't understand…humans possess animals as pets, why is my ownership offensive? I have more power than you, so it is my job to keep you. That's how it works."

Danny stared at Phantom, his mouth hanging open. "Th-that…" His jaw worked silently a moment before he yelled, "That's not at all how it works! I'm not your damn pet, I'm a person! A living, breathing, sentient human being who makes his own choices! You don't own me until _I_ say you do, and that will never happen because this is America and we don't own people here!"

Phantom rolled his eyes fingers, digging into his palms as he fought to cool his temper. "All I see in front of me is a boy who has done nothing but run and hide all day. You keep saying I ruined everything, but how do you think you would have fared had I not shown up?" Danny's looked away and Phantom's lips pulled back into a grin. "That's right. Beaten to a pulp and shoved into a locker…you can preach about freedom until the the eagles choke, but the fact is you need me. You've always needed me."

Danny flinched, reminded of all the times his powers had saved him and the recent events where he wished he still had them. That they had taken on a solid form and answered another need Danny had never acknowledged before this was both cool and demoralizing. Couldn't he do anything for himself? He bit his lip before shooing the thoughts away and glaring at Phantom.

"I need you?" he questioned and then crossed his arms, rolling his eyes. "Funny. I could have sworn you were the one who needed me. Incubi feed off emotion, and regardless of how you went about it, you bound yourself to me last night." A thought crossed his mind and his own lips curved into a smirk. "So why don't _you_ be a good pet and sit in the corner. Maybe if you're really good, I'll scratch you behind your ears or…something."

Danny had been expecting his comment to spark anger, but instead he received a low purr from Phantom's distraction, his wings shivering slightly as he mulled over the idea. "I might need a little more than just a scratch..."

Until that moment Phantom had been keeping a respectable distance from his human, allowing him his space. However at the possibility of intimacy he drifted closer, his insatiable hunger always stronger than his pride.

"Honestly, Danny, I care little about the circumstances of my feeding...I stepped up because I never imagined you could assume the dominant role."

Danny's jaw dropped in disbelief. "I so could have!" he insisted. Phantom's lips twitched and an eyebrow arched into his hairline, the sex demon clearly doubting him. The human bristled, growling silently to himself. He wasn't a girl, damn it.

His eyes lowered to Phantom's lips, and before common sense could overcome his pride, the boy stepped forward and hooked a hand behind the ghost's neck, lifted his chin and captured the demon's lips between his own. His heart hammered erratically against his ribcage, like an imprisoned bird about to be released. Nervous. Excited.

Phantom crossed his arms around Danny's back and pulled the human boy with him until his back met the cool glass of the clock face, wings tucked tightly behind him. He pressed himself against the hard surface, purring into Danny's mouth when the human took the hint and used the surface to pin the sex demon down, bracing himself on Phantom's broad shoulders as he leaned into the kiss.

Phantom allowed himself to be led, already a little surprised that Danny had stepped up, but not regretting giving him the chance. He slumped his shoulders against the wall so Danny could lean over him, shivering a little as Danny surrounded him, the human's warmth enveloping him like a blanket. The kiss was amateurish, but he made up for it in his eagerness to prove himself to Phantom. So far he was doing quite the job.

Danny rested his free hand on the demon's chest, directly above his core, and felt the other boy's skin quiver under his palm, the lips beneath his parting slightly in pleasure. The intoxicating taste of his partner's enjoyment fuddled Danny's senses, pulling a soft sigh from the human as his own lips parted.

His tongue slipped inside Phantom's open mouth and frisked against the ghost's until both were rubbing and twining together with abandon. Moaning, Danny wrapped his arm around Phantom's waist and pulled the ghost's hips to his own. As soon as their lower halves met, Danny's fingers tightened in Phantom's hair, memories of bucking hips and a stabbing pressure tantalizing his mind.

In a distant corner of his conscious, uncertainty shouted at him to end it right then, but remembered pleasure whispered more softly in his ear, and before he could help himself, Danny's hips ground against Phantom's. The ghost hummed softy into Danny's mouth, his fingers fisting around the loose material of his t-shirt. His hips instinctually followed Danny's, rubbing against the human until the friction made them both break the kiss for air.

With a force that was new but not unwelcome coming from the normally reserved human, Danny shoved Phantom harder against the wall, guiding their hips together again. The firmness of the glass behind him made Phantom hold his hips completely still, adding to the friction. The green-eyed boy leaned his head against the wall with a shameless moan of pleasure, unaware that he had exposed his neck until Danny's lips closed around his throat, sealing over the very spot he had been denied to explore last night.

Phantom shivered, not just from the felling of hot lips and tongue on his neck, but from how the flow of energy from Danny to him felt slightly different. The satisfaction of giving pleasure as well as receiving it, each fulfilling the other. It was a kind of reciprocation that was unfamiliar to him. Did all humans feel like this?

Danny's teeth bit into his neck, and Phantom thrust up against Danny's hips giving a whimper of all things. The ghost let his body relax even further, intent on savoring these new feelings.

But it seemed fate had other plans, as at that exact moment a boom like two gongs slamming together rang out in the previously silent clock tower, blasting their ear drums. The boys gasped and clutched their hands over their ears. Another boom resonated inside the clock tower, and Danny dropped to his knees at Phantom's feet, lips pulled back in a grimace. Strong wings unfurled, instincts urging the demon to protect his mate from pain despite his inability to do so.

The cacophony continued, striking twice then three times, until the forth beat when Danny finally realized what was making the awful sound. Bells in a clock tower. Who knew? The clock sounded one last time before it finally stopped.

Slowly Danny opened his eyes, finding a concerned looking Phantom hovering over him. Looking away from the ghost, he slowly lowered his hands, muttering a slightly belated "Ow" as he got back to his feet, shrugging off Phantom's attempts to help. "That happen often?" he asked as he brushed some dust of his jeans.

Phantom shrugged "It's a clock tower. You get used to it after a while."

An awkward silence settled on the two, and with a sigh Phantom realized that he wasn't going to be getting any more treats. He glanced at the inside-out clock face, making note of the time. "It's five o'clock."

"Yeah, I can count thanks," Danny grumbled, crossing his arms over his chest.

The ghost huffed and rubbed his temples, willing back his frustration. "I meant that it's getting late. Your maternal and paternal figures must be getting worried."

At the mention of his parent's Danny's heart skipped a beat, he had been so distracted by what his peers would think he hadn't even considered what would happen when his folks found out. "Shit! Mom and Dad!" he yelped, startling Phantom into taking a few steps back.

Danny rounded on him and grabbed him by the shoulders. "Dude, you have to take me back, now! I... I have to try to explain...or-or something!" He started shaking the ghost in his panic, much to Phantom's discomfort. "Oh man, they're going to kill me!"

Phantom reached out and placed his hands on Danny's, holding him firmly to stop the shaking before he got sick. "I highly doubt they're going to kill you, and I'm not taking you back until you stop shaking...you're in no condition to fly if you're hysterical…."

Danny gave a frustrated grumble but didn't argue, forcing himself to take a deep breath.

"There we go," Phantom purred, reaching over to run a hand between Danny's shoulder blades in the spot that always relaxed him. "If I know you parents, they will blame me not you. I'm the putrid ball of ectoplasm, remember?"

Danny laughed at that, though he didn't know why. Likely because Phantom was using his powers on him again. He wanted to be angry, but fake calm was better than real panic, and it wasn't worth fighting right now. Whatever got him closer to getting this whole mess over with.

Phantom pulled the human into his arms and opened his wings, readying for flight. "Don't worry, Danny, everything will be fine," Phantom murmured into his lover's ear, keeping a tight hold on the other's emotions to prevent any unnecessary anxiety. "I'll make sure of it."

Phantom watched Danny carefully as the human peered around the corner of the alley he had instructed the demon to land in. His blue eyes observed the outside of Fenton Works, looking for any signs that something was amiss. Phantom leaned over his shoulder to look as well, but Danny pushed him back into the shadows, giving him his best serious face.

"Remember what I told you. No matter what happens in there, you will not come after me." He jabbed a finger into Phantom's chest to make sure he made his point. "I don't care what you feel or if my chest starts glowing or whatever else, you have to stay away. Seeing you would just make everything a billon times worse."

The ghost frowned but nodded in agreement.

"You have to promise me, Phantom," Danny insisted, "Demons don't break promises to their mates, right?"

Phantom shook his head. "If it makes you feel better...fine, I swear I won't intrude on your family, on my honor as your mate."

He took Danny's hand and squeezed it tightly, looking into his eye for a moment before the human pulled away again. Danny stared at him a while longer, hesitating, before he backed out of the alley and trudged towards Fenton Works, his feet dragging. He kept his head down and ignored the people on the street minding their own business. They ignored him too, but now that he was alone and in the open, it felt like a million eyes were once more watching his every move instead of the single green-eyed gaze behind him.

The few feet from the alley to his house's stairs felt farther as a result, but as soon as Danny climbed the last step and rested his hand on the door knob, he paused. There were a million and one ways this could go, and over half of those were...bad, to put it lightly. On the bright side, very few of those outcomes would likely result in dissection now.

Danny forced himself to smile, but the expression fell apart a second later. He sighed. He had one hell of a life, that was for sure...The boy took a deep breath and then straightened his shoulders. Better to get it over with than stew over it any longer.

With that in mind, the youngest Fenton twisted the handle and eased the door open.

"I'LL RIP THAT GHOST KID APART!"

Danny froze with one foot inside the threshold. His father's shout rang in his ears, fear he had never actually felt in regards to his parents freezing his insides. He had never heard his dad sound so furious or heard his boisterous voice tremble like he was afraid, and like every child—ex-half ghost or not—it scared him.

The boy looked to his right and saw Jack standing in front of the couch like he'd just jumped to his feet, his fist clenched. His teeth were bared, eyes a bit shiny as they glared into space. On the couch seat beside him, Maddie had her hand clasped over her mouth, tears gathering at the corner of wide eyes. Mr. Lancer sat on the opposing couch, frowning at the floor.

The teacher was the first to feel Danny staring. He looked up and then quickly stood, facing the teenager. "Daniel," he said, voice slightly strained. "We need to talk."

At Lancer's words both parents turned and saw their little boy. Before Danny could even think of something to say, his mother ran across the room and enveloped him in her jumpsuit-clad arms. Danny felt a pang of guilt in his stomach. He hated to see his mother so upset, especially when it was all his fault.

A hand settled on his shoulder and he looked up to meet his father's eyes. There was anger in them, that was for certain, but none of it was directed at him, and even that small grace was a relief in its own way.

"I'm sorry, son," Jack whispered, his voice cracking halfway through the apology. "I'm sorry..."

**A/N**

Hey darlings, it's Tangi~ i'm to sleepy to bother with long notes here, so I would just like to dedicate this chapter to our personal art slave poltergeist, who sadly died of feels while reading this chapter.

If you guys what to see her illustrations for the last few chapters, hit up** pitch-pearl-chicks . tumblr . com**

And don't forget to check her personal blog for more art and mild brain damage **polterrgeist . tumblr . com** also **Polterrgeist** on deviantart

Anyway~ the story.. umm well things will get worse before they get better, so hold on tight for the next little bit. Don't worry though more sexy time are on the horizon~ after some more yelling..

one thing though, now that the parents are involved, I want to make one thing vary clear. Trance and I have to intention of vilifying Jack and Maddie. They won't be abusive, they won't murder Phantom, Phantom won't hurt them and they won't love Danny any less because of this.

I'm sorry if that's your thing but it just makes trance and I uncomfortable…


	5. Denying the Undeniable

**********Co-write between Tangerine Catnip and Dream Trance**

* * *

**Chapter 5: Denying the undeniable**

Try as she might, Jazz only caught snippets of the conversation taking place in the living room. Much to her dismay, her mom had sent her upstairs soon after her brother had come home. It was frustrating. Once again she was being treated like a child and forced to sit on the sidelines while her brother obviously suffered from mental trauma. She knew more about psychology than any of the adults in that room, yet she was made to sit out while they drilled the poor boy right after he escaped from his abuser.

All she had to go on were rumors and what she could squeeze out of Sam and Tucker. A fairly fruitless effort since they were likely still in shock as well, not to mention their stubborn dedication to Danny's privacy, but she knew enough to know how serious Danny's situation was here. She needed to find a way to help him, but all she could do was sit on the steps and try to listen in without her mother noticing.

The voices in the next room were getting steadily louder and Danny was practically screaming at this point.

"—No, you don't understand!"

"No, he's not…I didn't let him!"

"He-he wouldn't, Phantom would never!"

"I know that doesn't make any sense!"

Mom and Dad were eager to blame everything on Phantom. It was a miracle they weren't outside, running down the street and yelling for his blood right now. In their eyes, their precious little boy was being manipulated by an evil monster.

Danny wasn't helping matters by trying to defend Phantom, but even worse, he wouldn't admit to cavorting with the ghost by his own free will. Of course they couldn't both be true, so the three of them went back and forth with no progress, Danny getting more and more frustrated every time.

Danny refused to believe that Phantom had taken advantage of him. What was sparking that reaction was unknown, but Jazz sure yelling at him wasn't going to help.

Sure enough, five moments later her brother appeared at the foot of the steps, his eyes murky with unshed tears. He pushed passed her and stormed up the steps, their mother and father trailing along behind him.

They shared a glance, wincing as the sound of Danny's bedroom door slamming shook the house a bit. Mom looked to the floor and Dad wrapped his arm around her. Mr. Lancer stood behind them, frowning like the disappointed teacher he was.

Jazz followed her brother up the steps, leaving the adults to work out what was to be done for school the next day. Sooner than expected, she stood on the other side of the door. The spaceship-shaped poster that usually hung on the outside of his door now lay on the ground, having fallen when he slammed it.

Carefully, Jazz knocked on the door. "Danny?" she called. "Please open the door, little brother, I just want to talk to you. I promise I won't yell."

Inside the bedroom, Danny released a longsuffering groan and pressed the heel of his palm against his eye to wipe away any escaped tears, the other hand bracing him against a blackened wall. "I'm not in the mood, Jazz," he said just loud enough for her to hear, too drained to compose a scathing comment about her being overbearing. He kicked the remnants of the Fenton Thermos under his computer desk before he moved towards his bed. "I don't want to talk, I've had enough talking." He ripped his pillow off the disheveled mattress and collapsed on the floor, holding the cushion to his chest as his knees came up to shield him. "I just want to be alone."

Jazz sighed and leaned on the door. "Prompt debriefing after psychological trauma is very important to recovery, Danny. The longer I let you sit in the dark, the worse things are going to feel." She paused and then pressed her ear to the door, trying to hear if he was crying. "Maybe if you explain what happened to me we can work out how to explain it to Mom and Dad."

Danny shook his head before burying his face in the pillow's soft folds. In a way, he wanted to. It would be a relief to unload the truth to his sister, his only remaining support…but she would just be disappointed in him too. Worse, she actually knew his past and his secret, and though he had pretended not to care or listen when she said it, she had been proud of him. It had been an unexpected and unlooked for treasure, but one he didn't want to lose just because of one stupid night.

Not that refusing to talk to her would help matters. She knew—_everyone_ knew—that he had slept with Phantom, and the more he tried to stay quiet on the subject, the more she would draw her own answers. His classmates at school certainly had, and Jazz was nosey enough to keep trying until she got what she wanted. And knowing her, it'd probably be wrong and twice as embarrassing.

So in the end it was either accept Jazz's offer of comfort at the risk of disappointing his sister, or endure her snooping on him like she was the most skilled spy since Catwoman. He didn't like either option, but it would be nice to have _one_ person listen to him instead of forcing their ideas and wants onto him…

The boy sighed and lifted his head off the pillow, his gaze focused on the floor. "The door's unlocked…"

Jazz stepped inside, carefully closing the door behind her. She stepped over the mess of pillows and blankets and sank to the floor beside her brother. She wrapped her arms around him and hugged him tightly before letting go, leaving one arm over his shoulders to remind him she was there for support.

"Sam and Tucker already told me the harder to believe parts," she started slowly, choosing her words carefully. "The bit about Vlad and how your ghost half is out of control." Danny turned away from her at that; she better get to her point. "I don't want to make you go over anything you don't have to. Just tell me: are you safe now? He's not coming after you…"

Danny snorted, a harsh sound that held more bitterness than even he expected. "All he wants is me, Jazz, and that's not going to change just because he's had me once. Trust me though; I've probably never been safer." He scowled and buried half his face in the pillow. "He'd probably freak out if I got so much as a splinter."

Jazz nodded. Even with a few sentences things were falling into place. She just had to keep him talking for a bit, don't address anything directly so he wouldn't push back. "That makes him sound overprotective…like he has control issues…is that why he attacked your class? Was someone threatening you?"

Danny rolled his eyes, welcoming the irritation that came with Jazz treating him like he would fall apart any second. It felt good to finally experience an emotion that had less to do with him or Phantom and more to do with his sister being her normal, annoying-psychologist-in-training self.

"Yes, Jazz, you hit the nail right on the head. Actually, he's even more overbearing than you. He wants to keep his dinner alive and undamaged, you see, so Dash and his friends trying to 'impress' upon me how disgraceful it is to see Danny Phantom's symbol on my chest had Phantom barging in with his stupid staff-thing like he was fully intending to attack anyone who so much as touched me wrong. But class…" he trailed off and lowered his voice. "No one was trying to hurt me then. I was just angry and overwhelmed because they were all…and then _he_ showed up again because apparently I'm no longer able to fight my own battles! And now everyone's got it into their heads too! I'm not some child everyone needs to protect—I've been protecting _them_ for the last year and half!"

Jazz nodded slowly. She hadn't thought about Danny losing his powers yet. It seemed he still wasn't used to the idea that he didn't have the powers he once had. He was probably still firmly in the denial stage of loss. By the sound of things, his powers running around on their own and showing him up wasn't helping one bit.

"You can't expect Dash and the others to understand, Danny. They have always seen you as two different people. The fact that their assumptions are correct now…well only Sam, Tucker, and I would understand how you protected us. So there's really no way back I suppose? At least none in the foreseeable future?" the redhead asked quietly.

Danny sighed and lowered the bottom half of his face onto the pillow. "Believe me, Jazz, if there was a way to fix this, we wouldn't be having this conversation right now. Phantom seems to think that _this_" he gestured to the messy room and himself before he realized what he was indicating and jerked his arm back to the pillow again, flushing. "—is the only—no, the _best_ thing for us." He snorted. "And by us, I mean him. He probably wouldn't want to go back to the way things were even if we did find a real solution…"

Jazz's grip tightened around his shoulders, her teeth bit into her lip as she tried to remain calm. She needed to be strong; he needed a voice of reason. She would have to ignore the fact that Phantom used to be part of her brother; she needed to see him as an outside entity. That's how Danny was presenting it and she would follow his logic. "Forgive me for assuming, but by the sound of things you're not very happy with this new arrangement. If you don't want to be…" crap what was a good word "'with' him in the way he wants you to be, then you shouldn't be letting him make that decision for you."

"It's not that easy, Jazz! He…he—"Danny floundered for a moment before pressing on. "He _needs_ this. He'll die if I don't let him do—do that. And if not me then he'll go to someone else…and at least I know how to defend myself with Fenton Tech if it comes to it."

Jazz rested her other hand on Danny's shoulder and shifted so she could look into his eyes. "Danny, I know you're used to playing the hero, and I've always been so proud of you for it, but you can't just keep throwing yourself under the bus for the sake of everyone else." The hand moved to his cheek, Jazz maintaining eye contact; this next bit was important. "If today proved anything it's that even if you give him what he wants, he will still lash out against others. Refusing to protect yourself will only put everyone in more danger, including you. What if one day he decides he doesn't like letting you return home? What if he gets jealous of Sam and Tucker and attacks them?"

Danny's eyes widened, and for a moment he could picture that very scenario, but then he shook his head and drew away from his sister. "No, Jazz, you got it all wrong. Phantom was just…we've been arguing all day and both of us were just so _angry_. He was just overwhelmed by all of it, that's all. He tolerates Sam and Tucker just fine."

Jazz shook her head placing her hands in her lap "How do you know that? Phantom has been free for less than a week and he's already nearly killed your classmates. He got along with Sam and Tucker before they knew about…what happened…" she took a deep breath, passing over the events that were too painful to mention. "You know as well as I do that they won't stand and watch you suffer, and if they get between you and Phantom…" She trailed off. She had said enough about that already. "All Mom and Dad want is for you to be able to defend yourself. We can make sure you get a copy of the Specter Deflector key. Then you can decide how much you trust him."

Danny felt himself bristling like he had when his parents first brought up the Specter Deflector—habit, he supposed, but also annoyance if he was being honest with himself. He could defend himself, had _always_ defended himself…and yet he had tried to rely on his own strength before, and look at how nicely that had all fucked up. He didn't want to admit it, hated to even think he needed help, but…Phantom had destroyed the Fenton Thermos, had chocked Danny when he fought back, growled that he would take his pleasure from his victim's unconscious body if he had to…and in the end, Danny had failed to resist at all. If he tried to fight again, after Phantom had had a taste…

The boy inhaled shakily. He stared at the blackened wall a moment before he asked softly, "Mom and Dad would let me have the key?" If that was the case, the Deflector wouldn't just force protection on him—it would place power back in his hands. _He_ would be the one making his own choices again, not his parents or Lancer or even Phantom insisting they knew what was best for him.

"No, but I could make sure you got one," Jazz said. She held up a little silver key, smiled, and then pressed it into her brother's hand. "I took it a while ago, just in case you ever got trapped in the Deflector. After what happened with the Thermos, I thought it might be a good plan."Jazz placed her hand on her brother's shoulder again. "I'm trusting you to decide how you want to go forward with this. I know you don't want Phantom taking over your life, and neither do we."

Inwardly she patted herself on the back. Unlike her parents, Jazz had known she couldn't try to push this on Danny. Whatever feelings her brother had wrapped up in this ghostly half of his couldn't just be ignored. All she could do for now was plant a seed of doubt and give Danny the tools he needed to overcome this.

Danny tilted his head to the side, staring down at the key while his thumb caressed the smooth metal surface. He opened his mouth, but paused. After a second, he pushed the words out. "It might not be enough, Jazz. He's not just a ghost now, the usual defenses aren't enough. I tried to capture him in a Fenton Thermos last night, and, well…" He nodded at the blackened wall. "You can see how well that turned out…" His lips twisted in a humorless smile. "I doubt even the Ghost Shield could stop him at this point. He's more than a little dead-set on this."

Jazz frowned, crossing her arms over her chest. "We have to try, Danny. Mom and Dad's inventions have worked more often than not." She patted him on the head and got to her feet. "I'll talk to Mom and Dad about altering the Deflector so it's more powerful."

She walked across the room, pausing at the doorway. "Don't give up, little brother, I know your stronger than that," she said, and then closed the door behind her.

* * *

Danny waited outside the locker room door, head held down as his gym classmates finished their business inside. Going inside there now, at the time when most of the guys were pumped and feeling especially manly, would just be asking for trouble. By this point, it wasn't a physical beating he was afraid of. Hell, half the guys in there were too scared to even look at him! No, as soon as Danny, the resident queer and boy toy for the town's hero came in, conversations would stop and the boisterous atmosphere would suddenly turn cold. Then one of the cockier, older students would make up some story about a guy on the bus making a grab at his package and that would set all the others off on how disgusting that was.

Or worse, no one would say anything. It would just go eerily silent while the male students pretended not to sneak glances at Danny's chest. They might even try to avoid looking at him altogether, because, oh, that's Phantom's property and even looking at Fenton's body would be enough to summon the ghost's ire.

It had certainly happened before. All over school, it was the same mixed reactions. No one wanted to be seen with him, but everyone wanted to see the boy that had ensnared Phantom's attentions so thoroughly. He was suddenly in the spotlight, but not for the reason he had always imagined when it involved his ghost half.

A few boys left the locker room and glanced at him as they passed. Danny kept his head down, and after they rounded the corner, he heard them whispering how they were glad "the teacher made the queer wait outside." Danny sighed and leaned back against the wall. Time passed, and more boys left the locker room. Dash and his friends pretended not to see him at all, but most glanced at him before hurriedly looking away. Tucker sent him a sympathetic look as he left, but didn't offer to wait with him.

When Danny was sure the locker room was empty (or at least finally silent), he pushed off from the wall and trekked inside. The place was a mess—towels thrown everywhere, discarded gym shorts lying on benches, small puddles decorating the floor—but it was quiet and safe and he was finally alone. Danny breathed in deep—ignoring the burn from the cologne residue —and made his way over to the showers. His teachers were being especially lenient today; he could probably get away with taking a very long, very hot shower. With that in mind, he stood a little straighter and his steps became a little more lively.

The taps squeaked as he turned them, letting the water run for a moment as it heated up. He sighed deeply, pulling his shirt over his head. His fingers traced over the line of his scar, the shape standing out against his skin clear as day even though he couldn't feel burn beyond a slight difference in the smoothness of his skin.

Steam began to rise from the communal shower floor. Danny ditched his shorts but left his boxers on. He had packed a spare set in his bag for just this occasion—he really didn't want to be alone and naked just yet. Not when his stalker could turn invisible at will.

He stepped into the water flow, letting it run down his shoulders and over his head as he closed his eyes and breathed out deeply. He stayed under the water flow for a few moments, not moving, just letting his mind relax as much as he could.

Then he reached for a bar of soap. His fingers curled around one just as he noticed the white wings and green eyes of the boy sitting on the bench across from the shower, the harsh locker room lighting making his glow even more unearthly than usual.

Every muscle in Danny's body suddenly tensed as he sucked in a deep breath, eyes wide, like a deer caught in the headlights. He had known his ghost was lurking around somewhere and that of course the inevitability of Danny taking a shower alone after gym class would have been too tempting an opportunity for the incubus to resist—he had even planned for it himself—but that didn't make Phantom's sudden appearance any less startling for Danny.

The human's heart beat wildly in his chest as he tore his gaze away from Phantom, focusing instead on the soap bar. _Act natural,_ he told himself, bringing the soap to his body. _If you try to run out of here now, he'll stop you. Finish as quickly as you can and then get to your locker. _The boy licked water from his lips and breathed evenly to try and calm himself. "I know I asked this before," he said slowly, forcing the words out, "but do you have something against privacy? This is the second time you've busted in on my shower."

Phantom smiled slightly, crossing his legs and leaning back in his seat. "When it comes to me and you, privacy isn't an issue. I figure the sooner you get used to having my eyes on you the easier a time you will have."

As he spoke, his green eyes explored the teenager standing before him. Oh how he wanted to pounce on Danny right then and there. Rip off those useless undergarments and make him forget about how those inadequate humans rejected him. Sadly, he knew his efforts would not be appreciated. Making amends to his mate was the most important thing at the moment.

"Besides," he continued, "I'm not the one who built this shower without a door. It's hardly my fault I get such a nice view while sitting here."

Danny snorted, unimpressed, and briskly scrubbed the soap bar along and under his arm, cleaning the dried sweat and grime off one before switching the bar to his other hand and cleaning the other arm. "Just because this is a communal shower, doesn't mean it's an open invitation to watch people clean themselves. Just wait out in the other room. It won't take me that long, and then you can at least pretend to be a decent boyfriend who has, like, morals and stuff."

Phantom frowned, shifting forward a little and sitting on his hands. His eyes followed the bar of soap, silently resenting it for getting to touch Danny while he sat here. "Have some mercy, it's taking most of my willpower not to jump in there with you. You've been miserable all day and it's killing me…if it weren't for that ghost shield I wouldn't have been able to stay away last night."

Danny shivered, hair along his arms and neck trying to rise despite the water weighing it down. Silently, he thanked his parents for being such fast inventors when their children were in danger. He hadn't thought they would be able to construct a new energy that could repel Phantom as easily as the others, but the scar had flashed several times last night and Phantom hadn't made an appearance, even though Danny could feel the demon's distress at the edge of his awareness.

He moved the soap along his collarbone and then down his chest, scrubbing much more carefully. The scar didn't hurt anymore exactly; it just…felt odd when things brushed against it. "That's even more reason for you to wait outside then," he said. He glanced at Phantom, but flushed and jerked his gaze away when he saw the demon watching his movements so closely. "Trust me, I'd be a lot less miserable if I could enjoy my shower instead of being afraid of you jumping me."

"You don't trust me then," Phantom mused. Perhaps Danny had a point. Rebuilding trust might be a good way to patch things up with his mate. "I suppose there's no point arguing that jumping you might help with the stress you're feeling?"

The boy in the shower hunched his shoulders, and Phantom decided not to press the issue. His wings folded tightly as he mulled over how he could end his mate's suffering. "Leaving you alone won't fix the issue at hand. You and I know this is just a petty argument so we can avoid talking about more difficult matters."

Phantom stood and walked over to the shower, leaning against a slick wall only a few feet away from his human. "You can't wallow forever, my sweet. Sooner or later we have to move past yesterday."

Danny rolled his eyes, but his movements had become stiff with Phantom's proximity. "And what would you have me do? Pretend as if I'm not being shunned by the entire student body because of what happened yesterday? Go about life as normal? Oh I know, I should 'stop whining like a bitch' because there's nothing I can do so I may as well accept what everyone wants from me." He snorted, glaring at the floor. "I forgot that's your answer to everything when we disagree on something."

"Clearly you don't like my solutions, but unless you have a better one… " The demon's fingers twitched, and Danny could sense the internal struggle holding Phantom back. "As I mentioned before, I'm only good at providing comfort."

Their eyes met, and Danny's mind suddenly twisted and he found himself pinned against the wall of the shower. Phantom fucked him hard against the wet tile, the demon growling possessive phrases into his ear as water from the shower hissed and rained down on them, rolling off their bare skin as the two boys moved together.

All Danny could do was gasp, losing himself as Phantom's fantasy took over his imagination. A rush of pleasure filled his veins, as if the actions in his mind were truly happening.

Seconds later he came back to reality, feeling the light trace of Phantom's fingers on his chest. He looked down to see the symbol glowing under the demon's fingers. Danny made an odd noise in the back of his throat and slapped the fingers away before stumbling back from the ghost, dropping the bar of soap.

"I don't want your damn idea of comfort!" he shouted, voice thicker and deeper than he would have preferred. "I don't want anything to do with you, least of all…that! That's what got me into this mess in the first place!"

He glanced at his discarded clothes before deciding he could get them later. He just wanted to get out of there, wanted to feel safe again. He glared at Phantom, wary, before he edged around the ghost and marched out of the shower room, his back stiff. "The next time you want to try comforting someone, Phantom," he called over his shoulder, "try giving them a hug!"

Phantom whined softly, too soft for Danny to hear as the boy walked away. His wings twitched, fighting his restraint. His instincts wanted him to shove Danny down, wanted to taste his mate, force the pain away.

Before he knew what he was doing, he was across the room, the air currents made from his flashing wings scattering clothing and towels. He caught up with Danny seconds before the teen reached his locker, and he wrapped his arms around Danny's middle, pulling him close. "Please, don't leave," he murmured, nuzzling the human's neck. "I didn't mean to upset you."

For a moment Danny relaxed into his hold, but Phantom's hand betrayed him and slid down Danny's tummy, into his shorts.

Danny yelped and grabbed Phantom's wrist, forcing the hand out of his boxers. Twisting around, he shoved Phantom's wrist against the demon's chest with enough force to knock him back a step. "Dude, what part of it's not happening are you not getting?" he demanded. Phantom stared at him, his green eyes wide and his eyebrows beginning to pinch in confusion. Danny held his gaze, hesitating, before he sighed and slouched his shoulders. Maybe if he tried explaining things the demon would listen. "Look, you just…you gotta let me adjust to this on my own terms. Give me a day or two to figure things out and then we can give this another try, okay? It's just…not working for me right now."

Phantom's wings sagged, his usually overconfident smile fading. There was a tone in Danny's voice, one that made him think that this was more than a temporary rejection. Two days ago he could pretend Danny just didn't understand the pleasure he was turning down…but now…

Phantom grasped the wrist pinning his hand to his chest. No…no! It was not going down like this. Danny was his, he needed his mate. Danny was wrong, he could fix this. He would fix this. He just needed to prove to Danny that he could make him feel better.

His fangs flashed and he shoved Danny's hands down, pinning the boy against the lockers as he growled, "Perhaps the problem lies in your own stubbornness. Even if you aren't willing now I can always hold you down until you remember why my brand of comfort is so effective."

The boy tried to shove him off, but the ghost's hands closed around Danny's shoulders, Phantom's fingers glowing as he tapped into his powers. His lips pressed against the human's neck and nipped at his old marks while his mate gasped, half in shock and half in sudden desperate need for air. Danny made a wild grab for the demon's hips, but once his fingers wrapped the other boy's narrow waist, he moaned and simply hung on as Phantom pressed them flush against the lockers and moved into the cradle of his legs. His fangs dragged over Danny's collarbone, hips rocking together as he worked them into a slow pace.

As the incubus's energy sunk further beneath his skin, sensations Danny's body received heightened, making each upward slide of Phantom's hips send more desire and heat along Danny's spine and into his veins than should have been possible.

He lifted his chin to better allow Phantom access to his neck, whimpering as the demon's fangs glided across his throat, but Danny didn't want this. He didn't exactly remember why he didn't want something that felt so wonderful after mere seconds of contact, but above all the pleasure suddenly turning his body to putty in Phantom's hands, he felt a burning resentment and fear.

"N-no, Phantom, we're not…" He panted, his exhales making white hairs dance atop Phantom's head. His fingers squeezed the ghost's waist, but he couldn't bring himself to halt his hips completely. "Just, dude, stop!"

"No.," Phantom growled, his tone leaving no room for argument. "This is where you belong Danny."

His fingers traced down his partner's back until only a pair of wet underpants separated them. Soon those would be only shreds of cloth on the floor. His tongue darted out to lap at Danny's collarbone his eyes glowing brightly behind closed lids.

Danny was still resisting, he could feel it. He coiled his power around that little disrespectful speck, squeezing it like a boa constrictor with its pray. Feathery wings shivered as he felt Danny giving in. His other hand trailed back down, releasing Danny so he could slide his hand back into the shorts clinging to the human's arousal.

"You don't need them, Danny," Phantom murmured next to Danny's ear. "You don't need anyone but me. I will take you from this pain. I'll keep you safe and love you forever…Just stay with me."

The boy groaned and his feet did a sort of dance as he tried pushing himself closer to the lockers and further away from the hand dipping into his boxers, but Phantom leaned more firmly against him, his weight holding him in place. Danny grabbed the other's wrist instead, shaking his head and taking deep breaths to try to clear the pleasurable haze.

"I told you I don't want to," he panted. He squirmed, trying to wriggle out from beneath Phantom. The lockers scratched at his bare skin, but the human welcomed the pain like he welcomed his rising claustrophobia. He felt the demon's energy's trying to soothe him again, twist the feeling of being trapped into something more pleasurable, but that only succeeded in dulling Danny's thoughts and heightening his instincts now that the energy was trying to force him to feel something against his nature.

Panic took over, and the boy arched his spine and writhed against the body trapping him, small sounds of desperation issuing from his throat. He managed to fit a leg between Phantom's, felt something hard pressed against his thigh, and before he could fully think about what he was about to do, he pushed the demon's hips back jerked his knee up as hard as he could.

Phantom wasn't used to feeling pain. Between the memories of his short life since he was separated from Danny and his forgotten life from before, he had experienced very little of it. Hunger, yes. He had even tasted the sting of battle.

But this was deeper, more personal. Made even more painful by the fact it had been unexpected, multiplied by the vital nature of the injured organ. After all, there's nothing like being kicked in the balls to kill your boner.

Frozen in pain, Phantom's power retracted like a snake recoiling after being socked in the face, and reality came flooding back to Danny in a rush. He shoved Phantom back and the demon stumbled, his hands pulling away to cover the injured area, forgetting about Danny in the shock. The demon keeled over, and Danny spun around, clawed at the lockers, trying to find the lock that would open his little metal box.

On the floor, Phantom rolled over, groaning as he pushed himself up. He bore his fangs, his chest heaving as he tried to regain the wind that had been knocked from his lungs. He tried to say something, but for the moment it was only a high-pitched wheeze.

Faster than he even thought possible, Danny twirled the lock. It came free in his hand and he tossed it aside, the little metal thing bouncing off the tiled floor and chipping the cement. Phantom flapped his wings, drawing himself off the floor, and held his hands out like claws as he eyed up Danny, deciding what part of him to grab first.

The human's fingers curled around the pure metal belt with the electric green lock in place of a buckle And Danny jerked it out of the locker. Quickly, his free hand found the other end from behind his back and looped the belt around his narrow waist until the two ends met and clicked into place. The metal chafed against his bare skin, but the boy ignored it and reached inside the locker again for the key, grabbed it, and hurriedly inserted the key home, twisted his wrist and finally locked the improved Deflector belt into place around his waist.

Phantom tossed his head—either he didn't notice the belt around Danny's hips or he just didn't care. He flashed his wings and growled before throwing himself at the human with all the ferocity of a tiger pouncing on a mouse.

He brought Danny down with a vicious tackle, and then a sound like a fly had wandered into an electric fence filled the air. Screaming made Danny want to cover his ears, but Phantom was still on top of him, clawing at him as his body jerked from the electricity coursing through his system. But the worst part was the smell of burnt feathers. It stung Danny's nostrils and made him cringe.

They separated with a violent zap, the two of them falling back to the floor, tossed away from each other like similar poles on a magnet. Both boys lay on the tiles, neither moving, both in hideous amounts of pain.

Phantom's eyes opened, the shock fading quickly as his instincts took hold again. The Specter Deflector. A working Specter Deflector. A tool that Danny could use to starve him to death. Deny his feeding until he wasted away. Kill him from the inside out.

But it was more than that…this was denial. He, a demon from the deepest reaches of the Ghost Zone, made to please mortals and tend to his mate, would now be prevented from even touching his desire. Danny had found a way around his power, around his strength. Now he had no purpose to his life. Rendered powerless to comfort or protect by the efforts of the very boy he wanted to cherish.

Phantom breathed out slowly, feeling darkness and anger take over. He couldn't even feel Danny anymore. The connection had been severed as cleanly as if someone had taken a knife to it. He felt empty, heartless, angry. Oh so angry.

Danny pushed himself onto his hands and knees and then fell backwards onto his bum, knees tucking themselves against his chest. He leaned his back against the bottom row of lockers and glared at the other boy, shaking. "I meant what I said, Phantom. I need time." He licked his lips and tried to calm his rapid breathing. "Just, go find someone else."

A low sound came from the heap of feathers on the floor. A rumble that turned into a roar so loud it made the floor shake. Danny's eyes widened to the size of saucers only for them to shut tightly a second later when a brilliant flash of light filled the locker-room.

Something exploded, and the backlash of air and shrapnel knocked Danny off his feet. His head hit the tiles and his vision sparked black. Murky pictures swam across his eyes until they finally solidified into a sharp golden point inches from his nose.

Phantom had his lance in his hand, pointed squarely at him. The demon's chest was heaving, and behind him Danny could just make out the shattered remains of a wooden bench. Danny had never seen anyone this angry before and he couldn't help the spark of fear and the low sound that came from his throat.

"You're making a mistake human," Phantom growled. The corners of his eyes glowed with power so brightly it gave the illusion his eyeballs were smoking. "You're messing with things you don't even understand."

Danny looked back, forcing himself not to show he was scared, but as he glared he noticed the tiny pools of liquid gathering on the demon's bottom eyelids. "I can't find someone else. You're my only someone." The weapon in his hand tilted and lowered to Danny's naked chest, the tip now pointing directly at the scar and the boy's heart buried somewhere behind it. "You have my mark. I've told you what it means…how we can only be together."

Danny stared up at the other boy, breathing deep to try and calm himself. He licked his lips and inched away from the spear's sharp end, warily glancing at it before returning his gaze to Phantom. "I don't believe that," he said slowly, determined not to back down, but flinching as Phantom's fangs were revealed in snarl all the same. "Just because we had a past doesn't mean you can't find someone else!" he snapped, hands curling into fists on the tile. "You're Danny-fucking-Phantom, you have a gazillion fans, you can find _someone_ out there willing to feed you every minute of every day, but it sure as hell won't be me! Not as long as I'm wearing the Specter Deflector, and trust me, pal, after what just happened, it's not coming off any time soon."

Phantom gritted his teeth, growling. "Worthless human flesh means nothing to me." His eye brows furrowed and he lowered the weapon to Danny's belt, poking at it angrily. "I'm your other half, Danny. That I exist at all in the world is your fault entirely."

Danny's eyes narrowed. "Don't even try to play that. I was just your emotion-dispensing cage."

Phantom nicked the belt again with his blade, frowning, and Danny slapped the spear away. The demon growled, but Danny felt it worth the risk to stand up, once more putting him and Phantom at eye-level, though he took a wary step back after.

"There's nothing special about me anymore," he said, "just a kid stupid enough to get a demon bound to him because he wanted to help his parents."

Phantom's grip tightened on the handle of his weapon and the demon backed his mate up against a wall. "There are many things special about you, Danny, even if the only one you're choosing to use right now is your ability to be legendarily stupid."

The boy scowled, but he couldn't stop himself from shrinking away from the stronger being. "That doesn't mean you can't find someone else! There are better humans out there for you to get attached to, ones who are at least willing—no, dude, they better be willing. If you tried to pull the same stunt you just did with me to your new mate then we'll need to have one serious talk."

Phantom sneered and flashed his fangs. He threw his spear away, not turning to look when it buried itself in the door of someone's gym locker. "There will be no new mate. This farce ends now."

He lashed out, seizing the belt and pulling on it with every ounce of strength he had. The belt shivered and tangible sparks of electricity rocketed up the demon's arm, but he only grit his teeth and hissed angrily, forcing himself through the pain. Danny's feet slid across the floor. The belt wasn't giving way, but he was being pulled along like a ragdoll by his hips.

"Hey!" Danny cried. He dug his heels in the best he could and reached for the lockers, steadying himself.

Lightning formed and struck Phantom repeatedly, attacking his chest, face, arms hands, and with each attack, the demon winced, prompting Danny to flinch himself. It was impossible to watch the other half of himself—whether he thought of him like that still or not—be assaulted and not feel his own stomach twist unpleasantly.

"Phantom, stop!" Danny shouted, trying to pull away from Phantom despite the metal belt biting into his skin. "Just let it go!" The skin on Phantom's hands blackened, and Danny made a distressed sound in the back of his throat before he grabbed the demon's burnt fingers and forced them to release the belt, dropping them not a second later and stumbling backwards into the lockers.

Wings flapped franticly to keep Phantom steady, but his legs didn't do their part and he crumpled to the floor. Green energy flashed around his injured hands, and Phantom pushed himself up as they healed. He could feel his power draining. His night with Danny seemed so far away and every second he could feel himself getting weaker. His connection with his mate was utterly broken, not even providing the small drip of energy it usually gave him.

He didn't have a choice now. He had tried everything and now he had to leave. Hopefully to think of a new strategy. Danny wasn't going to give in and Phantom sure as hell wasn't going to listen to reason, but he was far too angry to not make a dramatic exit, even if it cost him another cup of his draining resources.

The demon lifted his arm to the side. The air around his hand compressed, sparking, and then a concussion exploded outward. The far wall collapsed, leaving a pile of brick and a brand new exit leading onto the football field. Phantom turned his head and hissed like an angry snake. This would serve to remind the human what he was dealing with.

His wings flashed open and the demon was gone, leaving only the destruction he had caused in his wake. A few seconds passed as Danny gaped at the destroyed wall before he sank to his knees and buried his face in his hands, his fingers burrowing through his black hair. Now that it was over, he could feel himself shaking. He hadn't expected Phantom to react so aggressively, and he was almost afraid to think about what would have happened had he rejected Phantom without the belt to protect him.

No, he knew what would have happened…he had tried to reason with the demon before using the belt, and he had almost gotten raped in the process. Phantom could try to sugar coat it and claim he would have enjoyed it (and he probably would have; he didn't have a choice), but Danny had said no and had fought every second and still Phantom had kept trying to force him. As it was, it had been a near thing, and if Danny hadn't managed to get the belt on before Phantom tried to jump him again…

A sequence of events ran through Danny's mind, and the boy flushed and shook his head, chasing the half-formed images away. No damn it, he didn't want a relationship like that. But he was a teenager, just introduced to sex and…it felt…and Phantom was so…

See, if he wasn't so hormonal all the time, maybe he could have resisted Phantom better the first time and then none of this would have happened. Better to cut Phantom off now than after the incubus was satiated; the decision was more serious this way, to both of them.

Voices shouted from further away, and Danny jerked his head up. Someone must have heard Phantom's attack, and there was another class coming in besides. Quickly, Danny scrambled to his feet. Decidedly not thinking about the incubus lurking, he stripped out of his wet boxers and rushed back to his locker. It took him less than a minute to throw on his old clothes and then he was speeding towards the exit.

Before he could leave, Lancer, Tetslaff, and a few other faculty members and students entered the locker room. Gasps rang from the crowd as they gawked at the wall's new fixture, and Danny shuffled his feet. When Tetslaff and Lancer looked at him, the boy ducked his head, shading his eyes behind his bangs. He mumbled Phantom's name, something about fighting ghosts, and then he shoved his way passed them. The students made a path for him, shying away like he carried some disease on his skin.

Fenton ignored them and kept moving. He needed to find Tucker…and Sam. He knew Phantom and he incubus wasn't going to give up. Not that easily, not when he was so dead-set on having Danny. He was going to need his friends the next time his demon came for him.

Even if it was just for support.

* * *

**A/N**

Well, sucks to be Danny right now, but yay~ we finally got another chapter out!

Yes it's back~ trance and I finally found the will to keep working on it. From now on I'm going to try to stay more engaged so that we don't have a hiatus like that again.

To that end I've made an incubus Phantom ask blog/RP blog on tumblr it won't have drawings since I Polt has a lot to do, already owns her own ask blog, and I can't draw myself… But if you've ever wanted to interact with the story more this might be interesting for you.

The blog will also take questions for the Danny Fenton from this story, those answers will be done by my cowriter. The url is **incubus-phantom . tumblr. com**


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